


Trust Building 101

by SMB814



Series: Whatever Will Be [2]
Category: Tales of Symphonia
Genre: Angst, Character Study, Drama, F/M, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-01-23
Updated: 2010-01-23
Packaged: 2017-10-06 15:04:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 55,538
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/54961
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SMB814/pseuds/SMB814
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Part 2 of the "Whatever Will Be" series. The good news? The woman Zelos was in love with loved him back. The bad news? She had six years' worth of reasons not to trust a word he said.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The Weirdness

**Author's Note:**

> **Rating:** Mostly T, but some readers may consider it to be a strong T.
> 
> **Warnings:** Zelos being Zelos -- i.e., adult themes, mild language, innuendo, frank discussions about sex, etc.
> 
> **Category:** Romance/Fluff (Sheelos - if you don't like it, don't read it), Drama, Angst, Character study
> 
> **Spoilers:** Spoilers for the game and for Mental Holiday.
> 
> **Time Frame:** Part 2 of the _Whatever Will Be_ series and a direct sequel to _Mental Holiday_, the first story in the series. If you haven't read that story, then go do that first or you won't understand the place where these two are currently at. (The seven stories in the series are, in order, _Mental Holiday_, _Trust Building 101_, _Exceptions to the Rules_, _Crossing the Line_, _The Experiment_, _Guardian Knight_, and _Worth It_.)
> 
> **Disclaimer:** Alas, Tales of Symphonia and its lovely characters don't belong to me. They belong to Namco-Bandai Games. I'm just borrowing them and not making any money off them, and I promise I'll return them unharmed (and probably happier than they ever were before) when I'm done playing with them. Any characters you don't recognize from the game belong to me (even though I would be very happy to give certain ones away).  
> **Feedback:** Feedback is love and fodder for future fics.
> 
> **History:** General plotting began December 2008; completed January 2010. Extremely slight revisions made in December 2010 (one or two corrections, a few formatting changes, a few name changes, a few author note changes, and additional series information added).
> 
> **Author's Notes:** Huge, huge thanks, love, and hugs to every single person who read, reviewed, and/or favorited Mental Holiday. I was floored by the response to it; it was nothing short of inspiring -- and extremely humbling. Thank you. You are all responsible for helping keep me going on this. Also, my apologies, again, about the absurd length of this fic. Apparently, I just can't write anything _short_ \-- and be forewarned that the remaining stories in this series aren't any better.
> 
> Special thanks to Trickksi, not only for some lovely conversations regarding Zelos and Sheena's characters, but for being brave enough to read an extremely rough, messy draft of the entire series that amounted to a bunch of incoherent plotting notes, and for giving me the encouragement I needed to keep working on it. Thank you! :)
> 
> Also, many thanks to Xonel for the beta and for pointing out my weak spots as a writer and, in the process, helping me improve the readability of this story. Thank you! I greatly appreciate it. :)
> 
> However, with that said, any mistakes or typos found here are still entirely my fault. If at any point I'm rereading the story and catch one, I'll try to fix it.
> 
> **Series Notes:** The Whatever Will Be series is a seven-part series that follows _Tales of Symphonia_. The first story, _Mental Holiday_, was posted in December of 2008. I spent the next year plotting the rest of the series, and in November of 2009 I began writing the second story. It was completed and posted in January of 2010.
> 
> The series is rated T (a rather strong T at times, but still a T) and focuses solely on Zelos Wilder and Sheena Fujibayashi. Occasionally one of the other characters makes an appearance, but they're few and far between, so if you don't like these two, don't read the series. Oh, and neither ToS2 nor Rodeo Ride Tour are touched on. That doesn't mean I didn't enjoy them, nor that if I ever continue this series they won't be worked into it somehow; they just didn't fit into it in their official form.
> 
> Also, each story builds on the previous one(s), so it's necessary to read the earlier stories before reading the later ones. However, each story itself is complete, and none end on a major cliffhanger, so you can stop reading at any point. Issues are introduced in each that may not be fully addressed in that story, though, so you'd have to read the entire series if you want to see those issues resolved. And while one or two issues are left open-ended after the seventh story, rest assured that once this series is finished, all of the main main issues will be dealt with.
> 
> Enjoy the ride!

**Part 1: The Weirdness**

The single ray of sunlight that fell across her eyes may have been responsible for the initial tug that pulled her mind from sleep, but it was, ironically, the sheer _comfort_ Sheena felt as she snuggled deeper into her pillow that told her something wasn't right and that ultimately roused her from those blissful depths. This wasn't her bed; her bed, while comfortable, wasn't nearly this soft, luxurious, and silky. The sheets smelled better, too -- fresh, soothing, faintly floral. The sounds synonymous with mornings in Mizuho were missing, too; she heard no wind chimes, singing birds, bubbling river, or clinking weapons as daily training began. She could hear footsteps padding softly down a staircase, along with muffled voices she couldn't identify through the sturdy, solid walls of this room, but those weren't Mizuho noises, and so this couldn't be Mizuho. So where was she?

As reluctant as she was to sacrifice all hope of sleeping a little longer, her sense of 'wrongness' quickly won out, and her eyes popped open. It took her a minute, but finally she recognized where she was: in Zelos's guest bedroom. A distinct, undeniable impression that something huge had just happened, something her sleepy mind wasn't remembering yet, bubbled up within her, and she searched her memories, trying to pinpoint what...and just like that, the previous day's events returned to her.

Zelos was back from his trip. She'd come here to see him. He'd verified that he'd told her the truth that night at the party. She'd kissed him. She'd slugged him. She'd told him she loved him. He'd told her he loved her. She'd stayed for dinner. They'd talked for hours. He'd escorted her here and kissed her goodnight. She'd laid awake half the night as her mind raced over everything that had happened. And now....

Now, everything was different. _Everything_. Now, she was in a relationship. She was in a_ real relationship_.

She was in a real relationship with_ Zelos Wilder_.

_...Oh, great Jizou_.

Panic swept over her. She'd told him she loved him. _She'd told Zelos Wilder she loved him_. What had she _done_? What was she _thinking_?Could she have done anything more idiotic? Even if she meant it -- which she had to reluctantly admit she did -- letting herself actually _tell_ him that ranked as one of the dumbest, riskiest things she'd ever done. He was _Zelos Wilder_, after all -- Playboy Extraordinaire, Casanova, Gigolo, Womanizer. He was _not_ the kind of man any sane woman should fall in love with, and he was especially not the kind of man any sane woman should _tell _that she'd fallen in love with. He may have shown her a vastly different side of himself now, but he was still _Zelos Wilder_, the most unpredictable man she'd ever met. She may have fallen for him hard that night at the party when he'd lowered his walls with her, but when she'd come here yesterday hoping to talk to him, she had definitely _not_ intended to tell him _that_. She'd barely even let herself acknowledge it!

But her mouth had betrayed her, and she couldn't take it back now. And to his credit, Zelos's reaction had been surprisingly non-obnoxious. When he'd pointed out what she'd said (leave it to him to catch something even she hadn't realized she'd said), she'd been terrified he would tease her mercilessly and gloat about it to everyone, but he hadn't. Actually, while he'd been shocked and excited about it, he'd also been far more subdued than she'd expected. And then he'd reiterated what he'd implied at the party, telling her in no uncertain terms that he loved her, too -- and more than that, he'd really seemed to mean it. And those incredible kisses they'd shared, her first kisses ever....

Sheena couldn't contain her smile. She pulled the covers tighter against her, her heart pounding, panic abating, and stomach fluttering. Oh, Jizou, it was _real_. Yesterday had really happened. After years of searching, she'd finally found her long-lost friend again. The man she'd had a crush on years ago felt the same for her. While she still wasn't sure she'd made the right decision to give him another chance to make it up to her, she didn't regret it, either, and so she wouldn't go back on it. Not yet, anyway.

Granted, she wasn't sure he was capable of living up to his promise to show her the 'real' him yet. He'd struggled with it last night as they'd discussed her new position as Tethe'alla's emissary of peace and his trip with his sister, and she'd lost count of the times he'd said something stupid or perverted. Each time, though, he'd stopped himself and, alarmed, had apologized for succumbing to old habits. And the truth was, as long as he recognized it and was working to fix it, she couldn't hold it against him. He'd asked for patience while he got used to being himself with her, and she would do her best to give it to him. He was trying, and that was the important thing.

The whole thing was exhilarating. She was in love with a man who loved her back; what in that _wasn't _exciting? Of course, it was also completely terrifying, simply because of the man she'd fallen for. What kind of situation had she gotten herself into? Yesterday and that night at the party had happened...but was it _real_? What would she find when she went downstairs this morning? _Who_ would she find? The Zelos she'd known for years and couldn't stand, or the 'new, real' Zelos? Was this all another act, another lie, on his part to fool her and seduce her? Or, if he _was_ serious about this, then could he really do it or would he quickly slip back behind the familiar, comfortable 'Idiot Chosen' mask? How long could he keep it up? Would he find this 'real' him too exhausting to maintain and give up, hurting her again in the process?

And even if he _could_ do this, a thousand questions still remained. Even if he was serious about this, was she? Did she really think it would work? They were different in so many ways; they viewed things differently, their backgrounds were nothing alike, their personalities were complete opposites...by attempting a relationship, would they just end up killing each other? Would they be better as friends than as lovers? Where would a relationship go, anyway? Where _could_ it even go? It probably wouldn't last long before they found it didn't work and went their separate ways; knowing that, shouldn't she just admit she'd made a mistake last night and end it? But if she did that, what would happen to that old friend she'd missed so much? Now that she'd found him, she didn't want to lose him again. But taking a step beyond that and embracing a romantic relationship...well, that could wreck everything, too, especially if it didn't work.

And then there were all the other threats awaiting them. What would Grandpa think when he learned she'd fallen for _Zelos_, a barely tolerated outsider? What about Orochi and the rest of Mizuho? What would Meltokio and his hunnies think when they learned their beloved Chosen had fallen for a poor, disgraced country girl from a backwater ninja village? What about Seles, who'd already made it clear how much she despised Sheena? Even assuming _Sheena_ couldsee a future for them, did _Zelos_? If no future existed, what was the point? But could she really give up without even seeing where this went?

Her gut churned. She was scared of where this could go...but these feelings of love were just as powerful. By showing her the real him, Zelos had made her fall for him, and unless he backpedaled or pushed her away again, Sheena couldn't see that changing. And she really had promised to give him a chance to prove he was serious about this, and _her_ running away from _him_ would mean breaking her promise to him -- and probably hurting him in the process, too. And how could she do _that_ to him? She couldn't. That meant, scary or not, giving him that second chance was her only option.

This whole thing -- and the conflicting feelings that accompanied it -- was just _weird_. Zelos, the man nearly every woman in Tethe'alla lusted after, said he loved _her_, and he'd done so in a way that left no room for misinterpretation. And now they were a...well, she thought they were a couple. _Them_, a _couple_. It was unthinkable, like a hilariously bad joke. The last three weeks had been weird enough, trying to figure out if he'd lied at that party about his feelings for her, but now that he'd reiterated it, and then everything that happened after that...it was _weird_.

And the weirdest part was this was _Zelos_ she was dealing with. The man she'd known and had conflicted feelings toward for years loved _her_. It felt so new, so _strange_. Trying to grasp it all was demanding a huge, awkward mental shift from her. It was real, but it didn't _feel_ real yet. Wrapping her mind around it while trying to determine if the man she'd fallen for was real and not just wishful thinking on her part or a skillful act on his would take time. After all, years of his over-the-top arrogance, idiocy, childishness, perversity, and teasing were hard to overlook. Right now she just didn't know.

With a sigh, Sheena rolled over onto her other side. She'd been over this a thousand times last night, but she was still afraid she was just setting up herself -- and maybe Zelos, too -- for heartache. No direction seemed right here, not continuing forward, not ending it now. She was afraid to find she really was misinterpreting something, and she was even more afraid she'd do something wrong and wreck it because of her lack of experience being in a relationship like this. And she kept going back to her inability to see a future for them, too. One day she _would_ become Mizuho's chief, and that fact alone made romantic relationships...sticky. As it was, chances were once Zelos learned those details, _he_ would be the one backing out of this. And really, maybe that was for the best since it would eliminate this entire problem.

But damn it, she _loved_ him and didn't _want _to end this relationship yet. Was it worth giving him a chance to prove he wouldn't just revert to his old ways once they left his mansion? Was it worth risking a broken heart if he decided she was too dull for him and dumped her? Was it worth pushing forward until he, too, realized 'they' had no future? If he really _was_ serious about this, though, then yes, it was worth taking that chance and getting to know the realZelos better. It _was_.

...Right?

Agh, this was so confusing. But lying there dwelling on it was solving nothing. Simply put, she _didn't_ know what she was getting herself into with him. She hadn't planned for this to happen; she'd spent three weeks hunting him down so she could talk to him, thank him, and smack him, not start a relationship with him! But she couldn't back out now. She just had to take this one step at a time, watch him carefully, trust her instincts, and give him the chance she'd promised him. And really, those kisses yesterday had said so much, as had his gentlemanly demeanor when he'd escorted her here (albeit after jokingly offering her a spot in _his_ bed), and his soft smile and good night kiss....

Sheena smiled at the memory, her face growing warm. Yes, he really seemed to be serious about this. And if he could keep the Idiot Chosen at bay and was willing to accept a few unfortunate things on her end...well, then, she could be serious about this, too. He would get his chance, and how long 'they' lasted depended on him. The next move was his. She would adopt his philosophy, "_Whatever will be, will be_," and see what happened. It could last a week before they realized it wouldn't work -- or maybe, if they were lucky, it would last longer. Only time would tell.

To that end, as tempting as it was to stay here and hold onto her hope and excitement forever for fear everything would unravel when she went downstairs, overthinking things was getting her nowhere. It was time to get up. With a deep breath, Sheena rubbed the sleep from her eyes and finally pushed herself up. The light was brighter now than when she'd first awoken, meaning she'd been lying here awhile; in fact, she was pretty sure this was at least an hour later than she normally awoke, which became even more apparent when her stomach growled plaintively at the smell of breakfast cooking. She stretched and yawned, then climbed out of bed, changed into her regular clothes, and tied up her hair. Opening the door revealed no one else around, so she headed to the bathroom next door, and then, once finished freshening up, she took a deep breath, bolstering her nerves, and headed downstairs.

Finding her host proved to be simple, for his bright red hair was unmistakable. He was sitting at the dining room table, fully dressed, newspaper in hand and an empty plate in front of him, when she stepped inside, and Sheena bit her lip, trying to restrain her excited smile. Until she saw how he acted toward her this morning, she didn't want him seeing how excited she was for fear of eliciting his teasing. Heck, she wasn't even sure she wanted to be this excited; the higher she rose emotionally, after all, the harder she'd fall if she really had misinterpreted this. But as Zelos looked up from his newspaper and gave her a soft, knowing, happy smile in greeting, she couldn't help the skip her heart made and the shy smile she offered him in return.

Oh, Jizou, yesterday wasn't just a dream. She could see it: this man was the same one she'd seen last night. This was _real_. It was still scary and weird, but right now, her excitement and hope were greater than those. Now she just prayed when Zelos opened his mouth, he didn't wreck everything.

For a moment, his blue eyes watched her closely, but then he motioned at the seat beside him on the end of the table, indicating she should join him. "Morning, love."

Sheena froze, her eyes widening and her cheeks growing warm. 'Love'? Wow, he'd never called her _that_ before. Last night he'd mostly been using 'babe' for her, although fortunately he hadn't touched 'banshee' or 'hunny' again since she'd told him, in no uncertain terms, never to call her those names again. Meeting his eyes, though, she was stunned to see something there that didn't match the playfulness she'd expected: nervousness. Was it possible he, too, didn't know how she would respond to him this morning? After she'd expressed so much hatred over all his other pet names for her, was he now nervous how she would react to this one, hence why he was testing it out like this?

But how _should_ she react to it? Instinct told her to glare at him and insist she _wasn't_ his 'love,' just like she wasn't his 'banshee' or his 'hunny'...but, well, if his feelings for her really were real, then 'love' was...appropriate. And really, she liked it. 'Love.' She'd never heard him call anyone else that before. 'Beauty,' yes. 'Beautiful One,' 'Beloved,' 'Princess,' 'Dear' -- all yes. And 'Hunny,' all the time. But not 'love'. It was simple, but it felt...well, it felt nice. And warm. And..._right_. She thought she could get used to that one -- so long as it stayed exclusively hers, of course. And the very fact that he was verifying she was okay with it, in the process also verifying that she hadn't changed her mind about what happened yesterday, indicated he, too, was nervous about this new situation they'd found themselves in...and that, too, was extremely encouraging. Like she had, Zelos had also clearly given this some thought overnight. And as a result, she could feel a few of her concerns slipping further into the background.

Seeing his smile fading, she realized that not only hadn't she responded to him yet, but that it was worrying him, and so, with another shy smile, she took the indicated seat and said, "Morning."

Thankfully, his smile returned, and he watched her closely a moment. "Sleep well?"

"Yeah, fine," she said, but her blush deepened and her gaze fell downward as shyness crept though her again. "Once I fell asleep, anyway."

His smile blossomed into a smirk. "Too wound up, eh?"

Well, yes, she had been, but her instinct for emotional self-preservation -- and years of distrust of that smirk -- stopped her from admitting that aloud. But then she realized if she was really giving him a chance to prove himself, she had to do so with everything, including this. Being so honest with anyone, let alone him, was weird, but how else could he prove how serious he was about this unless she _let_ him?

Okay, fine. She would be brave and try it. She smiled shyly. "A little. It's...it's a lot to think about."

His eyes widened and his smirk faltered. Heh, he clearly hadn't expected that. She couldn't help feeling a little smug; usually _he_ was the one catching _her _off guard like that. "Yeah...I know," he murmured, sitting up straighter and giving her a surprisingly shy smile of his own. "Same here." Without warning, however, the smirk returned, accompanied by a twinkle in his eyes that warned her something stupid was coming. "Y'know, you should've said something. I would've been happy to help..._relax_...you."

Oh, Jizou. Sheena groaned and buried her face in her hand. And he'd been doing so well, too! "You really are an impossible pervert, aren't you?"

"Hey, _you_ gave me permission to hit on you, and you can't revoke it now!" Zelos said, pointing at her.

She lowered her hand and glared at him...but despite the innuendo, a smile still tugged on her lips at how cautious his smirk was. Ah, so he was just testing his bounds again, seeing how far he could get before she smacked him, she realized. And really, he was right about that: she _had_ given him permission to hit on her. Bastard had been covering his bases, hadn't he? And she couldn't forget, either, that the truth had just slipped out when he'd admitted he, too, hadn't slept well last night. In fact, based on what she now knew about him, that slip had probably caused his innuendo-laced defense mechanism to kick in. At least now she could recognize it for what it was.

"I'm going to regret that, aren't I?" she said.

His smirk broadened. "Probably."

But amazingly, she wasn't pissed about it -- and a smile still lingered on her lips, too. Actually, she felt a little more comfortable now that they'd slipped into a more 'normal' routine for them. He was gently baiting her, showing her -- and maybe himself, too -- that while everything between them had now changed, they were still _them_. She pointed back at him. "Just don't push it."

"Just for you, my dear, I will try not to drive you to find creative, painful ways to kill me." Sheena opened her mouth to retort to that, but the words caught in her throat, and while her fist itched to bop him on the head, the sheer _weirdness_ of this whole thing stilled her hand. And before she could figure out how to respond, Zelos set aside his paper and called over his shoulder, "Hey, Sebastian?"

Almost instantly, the dining room door opened and the butler stepped inside, tray in hand. "Here you go, Miss Sheena," he said, placing a plate of food and a glass of orange juice in front of her. "We were keeping it warm for you in the kitchen. If you require anything further, please let me know."

Sheena gave him an embarrassed smile. After all the lovely chats she and Sebastian had had while Zelos was gone, it felt wrong for him to be serving her like this. She wanted to tell him he didn't have to, that just because she was Zelos's guest didn't mean she couldn't tend to her own needs, that being waited on went against everything she was, but unsure how to do that without sounding ungrateful, she instead murmured, "Thank you, Sebastian." If her relationship with Zelos continued, then she would worry about convincing him he didn't have to coddle her, but right now it just wasn't necessary.

"Of course, miss." He bowed his head, then grabbed Zelos's empty plate and headed back to the kitchen.

"Sorry," Zelos said, smiling sheepishly. "I tried to wait for you before I ate, but it was getting so late that I was starting to wonder if you'd climbed out the window and left...."

Her eyes briefly widened, but then she gave him an awkward, apologetic smile. "Hey, it's okay. You shouldn't have to eat cold food just because I was feeling lazy getting out of bed." And then she caught his underlying implication -- and again, his stark honesty made her blush. Saying things like this to him was weird, hearing him voice such fears and insecurities was even weirder, but he'd said it and she couldn't ignore it. She looked down at her toast and eggs and smiled shyly. "A...and don't worry. I would never leave without saying goodbye first."

When Sheena finally gathered the courage to look at him, she found he was watching her closely again, a faint smile toying on his lips -- but suddenly the smile faltered and he bit his lip, leaning forward so his elbows were resting on the table. "So...any regrets or second thoughts about yesterday?"

Her eyes widened again and her heart pounded faster. Wow. She hadn't expected him to ask her _that_. And then it hit her: not only was he just as uncertain about this whole thing as she was, but he was giving her an out if, while she'd been pondering everything last night, she had realized she'd made a huge mistake. Oh, Zelos. She was simultaneously touched by his gesture, reassured by his seriousness and honesty, and eager to reassure _him_ that yes, she really was sticking around. And just like that, even more of her fears melted away as it became increasingly obvious this wasn't another game for him, because if it was, there was no way he would have just shown her such emotional vulnerability. It was incredible, but they really were on the same page with this.

"No." She eyed him carefully. "You?"

He relaxed and leaned back in his seat again, his soft smile returning. "Not a one."

Her heart skipped a beat, and Sheena returned his smile. And that was that. Neither of them had changed their minds about this overnight, and so for the moment, there was nothing left to discuss. Well, they had plenty left to discuss, things she had to tell him that could bring this whole thing to a screeching halt, but she couldn't find a decent segue into that right now, and so instead of mentioning it, she grabbed her fork, took a bite of her scrambled eggs, and opted to change the subject onto something a little more comfortable.

"I didn't take you for the kind to bother reading the newspaper," she said, motioning at it with her fork.

"Heh." Zelos relaxed even further, although his smile took on a wry tinge. "I wish I didn't have to."

She arched an eyebrow, stuffing another forkful of eggs into her mouth. "You _have_ to? I figured any news you needed you could get straight from the king or the church."

"I do," Zelos said. "I don't bother reading the main headlines."

Okay...? "Then what are you...?" He grinned sardonically and held up the front page so she could see...and instantly, her face wrinkled in confusion and distaste. "The _gossip page_?"

"Yep. The joys of being a celebrity."

She blinked several times as his sarcasm invalidated her initial impression that he was keeping up on the latest gossip to better flirt with his hunnies. "Wait, are you saying you're reading about _yourself_?"

"Don't worry, it's not as egotistical as it sounds," he said. "I'm just finding out what the current gossip about me is so I know what to expect when I open my front door. For instance, I can tell you everyone in Meltokio knows I'm home now. I was hoping to avoid detection by sneaking in the back way, and I really thought I'd gotten away with it, too. But then I opened up the paper and found _this_." He held up the front page again...and sure enough, the top story was all about how the Chosen had finally returned to Meltokio after taking an 'unprecedented' three-week vacation immediately after being gone over half a year while traveling with a 'rag-tag group of foreigners.'

"So how did they find out?" Sheena asked.

He gave her a crafty grin. "Heh. You, actually."

Her eyebrows shot upward. "_Me_? But I haven't even left here since yesterday!"

"And that, my dear, is _exactly_ how they determined I was back. Someone saw you entering my mansion yesterday, and when they never saw you leave, they inferred I was back and was...entertaining...you. Hence the story."

...Wait, what? _Oh, no, no, no. __**Please**__ tell me I'm misunderstanding this, Zelos._ Her fork fell to her plate and she motioned shakily at the newspaper. "Are you...are you saying _I'm_ in there, too?"

Zelos handed her the paper, giving her an awkward smile. "See for yourself."

Sheena hesitantly took it from him, her heart pounding faster, and scanned the article. Oh, Jizou. The article may have been about him, but there was nearly as much speculation about her there, too. It mentioned all the times she'd visited his mansion the past three weeks -- and, even creepier, it listed the average amount of time she'd spent inside the mansion (five minutes, except for the time last week she'd stayed over half an hour when Sebastian had shared what he'd heard from Zelos with her over tea). That was disturbing enough, but the worst part was the paragraph that described her and her 'history' with Zelos, declaring her to be a ninja from Mizuho who'd been seen in the Chosen's company for years and had been part of the 'Chosen's infamous reunification journey.' It also warned readers to be 'careful' around her since she was well known to be 'violent' and 'abusive,' having been caught 'attacking' the Chosen in the past. One of Zelos's hunnies had even been quoted as saying she was a 'country hick' who 'resorted to violence to express her attraction to him because she was socially and emotionally stilted.'

At that point, with her gut twisting in humiliation, disgust, and anger, Sheena stopped reading, set down the paper, and began picking at her breakfast again, her appetite now gone and her face blazing. "Is...is this the first time I've been mentioned like this?" she asked.

Zelos shook his head, watching her closely again. "No. There've been rumors flying about us for years, but nothing concrete. And Sebastian said there was a breakdown on the entire gang during our journey so my 'fans' knew who was 'monopolizing' my time, so...yeah, everyone here knows who you are."

For a moment, Sheena poked absently at her eggs. That actually explained a lot. His hunnies had never liked her, but for years they'd mostly ignored her -- but then one day they'd suddenly started glaring at her, whispering about her, and warning her to leave Zelos alone. That must be when the first article appeared. And now...oh, Jizou. Her hand froze. "So...wait. Does this mean if we start, um, spending more time together, there will be more of this?" She tapped her finger on the paper.

Zelos frowned, his brows furrowed. "Yeah. There's no way to avoid it. Best I can figure, the family living in that house," he pointed out the window at a gray stone building across the street, "has been hurting for money for a few years now and is renting out the front room to a reporter, because judging from the pictures I've seen, there's nowhere else he could be hiding. I'm sure that's how they knew you'd spent three weeks looking for me here. And unfortunately, my 'girlfriend of the moment' has always been Meltokio's hottest gossip. Why do you think every woman wants to date me? They're all looking for their five minutes of fame."

Sheena swallowed hard, watching him closely, but he really didn't seem happy about that. She'd always known he was popular here, and she couldn't forget what he'd said about how women just wanted to be with the _Chosen_, not with _him_, but she'd never paid attention to just how much attention these people laved on him. So...what? That title hadn't just stolen his future from him, but all semblance of privacy, too? Ugh. These stupid, selfish snobs. No wonder he'd adopted the Chosen One mask if everyone was alwayswatching him and never letting him be himself. She suddenly wanted to tear up every copy of this newspaper she could -- if only that could fix the damage that was already done.

"Don't these people have anything better to do with their time than gossip about you?" she asked.

"Nope," he said, giving her another wry grin. "Like I said, I'm a celebrity here. The attention may be nice at times, but other times it's an inescapable curse." He shrugged. "Eh, after awhile you figure out how to have some fun with it. Y'know, start false rumors, tease reporters, divert attention elsewhere, all that."

Well, while she was glad _he _could have fun with it, she already knew she could never get used to it. As it was, the lump in her stomach was tightening as she started imagining all the rumors undoubtedly already spreading about them because of this article -- and what it would mean for her every time she came here to see him. She looked down at her plate and began pushing her eggs farther away from her toast. She really had been enjoying her meal a minute ago, but the thought of what the future now held for her because of his popularity left her feeling sick to her stomach.

"Sheena?" he asked, his voice soft as he leaned forward again. "What is it?"

Her eyes darted up at him, but they quickly fell again when she saw his concerned expression. "N...nothing. It's just...having everyone in Meltokio talking about me kind of ruins my ability to walk around here undetected, something I need to do my job as a ninja."

"I know," Zelos said, his voice falling to a whisper. "Unfortunately, it's a little late for that now. And unless we can get rid of that reporter over there," he motioned at the culprit house again, "I don't see that changing anytime soon."

...Yeah, she didn't, either. So now, literally overnight, she'd become the talk of Meltokio, hadn't she? And all because she'd fallen for Zelos Wilder, the one person Meltokio just _loved_ gossiping about. "Wonderful. Have I mentioned how much I hate being the center of attention?"

When she glanced up at him again, she found his face had fallen further as he watched her closely again. After a moment, he cleared his throat and leaned forward. "You know, Sheena," he began, his words slow, deliberate, almost _reluctant_, "I'll understand if you don't want to deal with the crap that comes with being involved with me. Just say the word and I'll leave you alone."

Her eyes widened and locked with his. Was he offering her _another_ out? As tempting as escaping the repercussions of dating a 'celebrity' might be, though, backing out wasn't an option, and Zelos's offer was exactly why it wasn't. How could she walk away from someone who cared about her enough to do something that selfless for her? She couldn't; her heart wouldn't let her. Sure, she would hate aspects of this, but she would never forgive herself for ending their relationship simply because of some _gossip_. The celebrity aspect would be horrible, but Meltokio wasn't the only place they could spend time together. He could come to Mizuho sometimes, too -- which reminded her, again, that if he was being this upfront about the unpleasant things that came with dating him, then she really should do the same, and soon, too, since there was no reason to drag out something she suspected would be a deal breaker for him. But if that _didn't _chase him away, then they did have alternatives to Meltokio's idiocy, thank goodness.

Sheena gave him a soft smile. "Thank you for your concern, Zelos, but no. I'm not giving up this chance with you just because some stupid, shallow people have nothing better to do than gossip about you."

Zelos watched her a moment, his eyes narrowing slightly, but then he mirrored her smile. "I'm glad to hear that."

Seeing him like that, so concerned for her and radiating faint but unmistakable nervousness about her willingness to give this a shot, was so..._weird._ It was amazing and encouraging and made her stomach flutter...but everything about being with him, with _this_ him, was so _strange,_ too. It was a stark reminder that even though she'd 'known' this man for years, she'd never really known _him_. She may have seen glimpses of him before, but none had been like this, where he was willingly _letting_ her see him.

And topping that off, she didn't know what she should be doing when it came to being in a relationship yet. She wasn't sure what to say or how to respond to him, and while she didn't think she'd messed anything up yet, she didn't feel comfortable stepping into this new role yet, either. She felt like...like her mind was trapped inside a stranger's body and she was experiencing a surreal episode, one made even more surreal because it involved _Zelos, _in a strangely different, albeit similar, form than she was used to, only she wasn't. _This is real, and it's really happening_, she kept reminding herself. Maybe if she repeated it enough, she'd believe it.

But her heart was pounding, and seeing him smile like this, knowing it was because of her, made her feel good. She was really liking this new side of him. There was nothing fake about him right now, nothing arrogant or infuriating. He was just a kind, considerate, gorgeous man who most women would kill to be involved with. And for a moment, guilt tugged at her, reminding her again that she needed to be upfront with him about the consequences of pursuing a relationship with her and give him the same opportunity to walk away that he'd just given her...but before she could find the words, Zelos cleared his throat and motioned at her breakfast. "You should eat that before it gets cold. It's much better warm."

Her face grew warm again, but then she nodded and gave him another smile. He was right; that could wait until later. If she was lucky, a better opportunity would arise where explaining this wouldn't feel so...unprompted. It would still undoubtedly chase him away, but it would at least let her enjoy this moment with him a little longer before it all came crashing down. So for now, she would ignore the elephant he didn't even realize was in the room yet and eat her breakfast. And after watching her another moment, Zelos reclaimed his newspaper and resumed reading, a smile still toying on his lips.

It was only as she was finishing her toast that she spotted it in the fruit bowl on the table: a single, perfect peach. Her hunger was now sated, but still...it was calling to her. She _loved_ peaches. Sybak was the only city that sold them, so she knew how rare they were -- she could count on one hand how many she'd ever eaten -- and she was itching for one now since Colette, fruit lover that she was, had always horded the ones they'd bought during their journey. Being from Sylvarant, Colette had never had one before, and considering everything she'd been going through at the time, Sheena hadn't had the heart to argue with her. But now....

Sheena bit her lip and averted her eyes. She shouldn't. Peaches really were rare, and that one wasn't hers to take. She knew Zelos liked them, too, and so he should enjoy it. Besides, she was full, and it probably wouldn't live up to her expectations anyway, so why ruin the memory? But her eyes kept drifting back to it as she sipped on her orange juice; knowing it was there now, her mind refused to ignore it. She wanted to see if her memories of how great they were really were accurate. And fruit bowls were invitations for anyone to take what they wanted, right? The rest of the fruit looked great, too, but that peach just looked so...._no, no, no, it isn't polite_, she scolded herself, averting her eyes again. But still....

Without warning, Zelos grabbed the bowl and held it up to her, his eyebrows rising. "Fruit?"

She jumped in surprise -- damn, she hadn't even realized he'd noticed her ogling it -- but her gaze quickly fell to her now-empty plate. "N...no. That's okay. But thank you."

"Go on, take it," he said, giving her a faint smirk. "You're practically undressing it with your eyes."

Her face flared and she shot him an embarrassed glare, but she relaxed a little at the softness in his eyes that indicated his teasing wasn't malicious, just amused. "Are you...are you sure? That's the only one you have, and I know you like peaches, too...."

Zelos rolled his eyes. "Like I can eat all this fruit myself. Sebastian goes overboard with the grocery shopping at times. Seriously, Sheena, take it. Yeah, I like peaches, too, but I have easier access to them than you do."

Sheena watched him another moment, bracing herself for the "_But if you take it, I get a kiss in return!_" that instinct told her was coming, but she was pleasantly surprised when he just grinned and held the bowl closer to her. Finally, she couldn't resist any longer, and with a soft, embarrassed, "Thanks," she took the peach from the bowl. Zelos's grin broadened and he quirked his head as if to say, "_You're welcome_," then he set the bowl down and picked up his paper again, going back to reading -- or, more likely considering how his eyes kept darting at her, the grin still on his lips, _pretending_ to read while inconspicuously watching her. She'd have to talk to him about staring at her, but not right now. No, right now she didn't care because there was a perfect peach in her hand just waiting to be eaten.

It was beautiful, it smelled divine, and upon taking her first bite of it...oh, it tasted amazing. Sheena chewed it slowly, savoring the burst of flavor on her tongue. This was exactly how she remembered it tasting that first time she'd tried one in Sybak, back when she'd been fourteen and had studied briefly at the Academy. In fact, she'd actually been having lunch with Zelos at the time, back before he'd started acting like a jerk toward her. She'd seen peaches in the cafeteria there, but she'd always brought her own lunch to save Mizuho money, and even if she'd had money, she'd never been brave about trying new foods anyway, and so peaches were an unknown to her.

One day, though, Zelos had one in his lunch, and when she'd admitted she didn't know what it was (after also commenting that the color suited him -- which, come to think of it, _was_ around the time he'd started wearing this pinkish-peachish color more regularly), he'd given it to her, positive she'd like it. She'd been hesitant to accept it, knowing eating someone else's lunch was rude, but curiosity and his persistence had won out. Her initial bite had left her believing she'd tasted heaven. Zelos had just laughed at her reaction (leading her to threaten to beat him up if he didn't stop), but Sheena had never forgotten his soft smile when a drop of juice had run down her chin or how he'd brushed it away with his thumb. She'd been embarrassed for days afterwards, and he'd laughed and teased her about it relentlessly, but a week later, he'd given her another peach -- as a 'peace offering,' he'd said. And, even more redeeming, he'd given her a napkin so he couldn't tease her about her 'messy eating' anymore.

But then, soon after that, the shower incident had happened, his teasing had grown merciless, and he'd become ruder and cruder, thus forcing her to write him off as an idiot and push all of her _good_ memories of him, like that peach one, from her mind because of how badly they'd hurt. And now...now they'd come full circle back to that same position they'd been in then, with Zelos grinning knowingly as he handed her a napkin, heading in perhaps the same direction they'd started walking back then -- only this time, Sheena knew far more about the real him, and hopefully now that his title was obsolete, history wouldn't repeat itself. She blushed and smiled shyly as she accepted the napkin from him, wondering if he'd just been remembering the same thing she had, but he just watched her another moment, grinning, before resuming reading. Oh, was she glad she could now safely summon that memory again, because it really had been a lovely moment; now she knew it must have been around that time when Zelos had realized he'd been developing feelings for her and had begun intentionally pushing her away.

And for a moment, Sheena couldn't help wondering where they would be right now if his situation had been different back then. Would they have started dating? Would it have lasted? Would they have drifted apart after she'd finished her schooling? Would the Church have forced her away from him? Would Mizuho have forbidden her to ever see him again? Would he have continued to be her friend? Would he have ever let her see the 'real him'? Or would it have ended even worse than it had? They'd been so young at the time; they'd both changed so much since then. It was unlikely that, at that point, they could have made a relationship work. And while it was unlikely they could make one work now, it was still worth trying, just in case. Chances were they would have made the same choice back then, too, if they could have.

But regardless, pondering those 'what ifs' was still wistful. They'd lost so many years of could have beens, but as unlikely as it was that it would work out any better now, they'd been given a second chance and she would see it through. And that was why when his gaze landed on her and he gave her another smile, Sheena returned it anyway, despite her doubts about the future.

Once she finished, blushing at how many times she'd caught him watching her, she breathed in deeply, then slowly released it. "Thank you. That was delicious."

Zelos set down the paper and grinned. "Of course. I never could stand between you and peaches." Sheena chuckled and looked down at her plate, but before she could respond, he sat up straighter and cleared his throat. "So anyway, how long are you sticking around today?"

She slowly exhaled, her smile falling. Oh, right. Being here with him had been a lovely excursion, but it couldn't last. The reality of her life as a ninja awaited her. "Not long," she said, placing her napkin and silverware atop her plate. "I have to get back to Mizuho. They were expecting me there last night already, and if I wait too long, they'll send someone here to hunt me down."

"...Right," he murmured, his face falling a little. "And I have to go see the king. He wanted me to report in the minute I got back, but I didn't exactly have a chance to do that, what with my overnight guest and all. Now that everyone knows I'm back, I only have an hour or two before he 'summons' me to the castle." He grinned. "But since I _do_ have an hour or two left...how about I walk you out of town?"

It would never fail to amaze her that that he _wanted _to spend time with her. "Okay," she said, giving him a faint smile...but then she thought of something she really wanted to do first, now that she could. She smiled sheepishly. "Um...would you...would you mind if I took a shower first, though?" His eyebrows flew upward, and Sheena quickly looked away, embarrassed. "It's...it's one thing about Meltokio that I miss when I'm not here. You know, taking a hot shower rather than bathing in a cold river."

Zelos grinned, clearly amused. "Hey, no need to explain -- don't forget, I've taken more than my share of cold baths lately, too. If you'd like a shower, be my guest. And by all means, take your time to enjoy it."

Oh, good. No unexpected attempts to hit on her. "Thanks."

The two had barely stood when Sebastian appeared and whisked Sheena's empty plate away (the man _had_ to be psychic since his timing was always impeccable), but the interruption was quickly forgotten as Zelos escorted her into the living room. "Everything you need should already be in there," he said. "Towels, soap, whatever. If you need anything else, let me know. I'll be here."

Sheena watched him head for the couch, grabbing another section of the paper from the coffee table on his way, and casually stretch out across it -- _how could he be so gorgeous while doing __**everything**_? she wondered, briefly admiring his physique -- but then, blushing at where her mind had gone, she headed upstairs. She made a quick stop in her room to grab a robe, then headed to the bathroom.

Before she could enter, though, Zelos looked up at her, smirking. "Hey, babe, you sure you don't want some company in there?"

She stopped and rolled her eyes. And there, finally, was the pass she'd expected. She should've known he couldn't resist. "Positive," she said, then she turned and leaned against the balcony railing, arching an eyebrow down at him. "You really aren't going to give that up, are you?"

"Nope. Not until I've had my way with you." His smirk broadened and he waggled his eyebrows. "And probably not even then."

The blush erupted on her face, but she chuckled softly anyway as she noted he still hadn't budged, apparently content to just sit on the couch and flirt with her. "Idiot." His grin widened further, and, uncertain whether she should be disgusted or amused, Sheena turned and headed into the bathroom, throwing an, "And don't you dare peek at me again!" back over her shoulder at him before closing and locking the door to prevent the apparently irrepressible pervert in him from trying anything.

She tossed the robe onto the counter, then stepped up to the sink and began collecting everything she needed -- but she froze again as his voice drifted through the door. "I'm walking up the stairs right now..." he said, followed by a wolf whistle, but it was so distant that Sheena knew he was still sitting on the couch. She couldn't help bursting out laughing. If he'd been within reach, she would've just smacked-- Her gaze fell on a bar of soap. Impulse and instinct immediately won out, and she grabbed the soap, opened the door, returned to the railing, and tossed it -- and even she was surprised when it soundly connected with its target. "Hey, ow!" Zelos exclaimed, rubbing the back of his head before looking at her in mixed wide-eyed amazement and mock-indignance. "What was _that _for?!"

It took all her effort to smirk, not laugh. "Be glad it was a bar of soap and not a shuriken."

Zelos pouted but couldn't hide his grin for long. "Okay, I have to ask. How _did_ you manage that shot from up there?"

She lifted a finger to her mouth, pretending to seriously consider that. "Hmm...I'm trying to figure out whether to say your head is so big that it's an easy target or that there's a special magnet hidden in your hair that draws everything I throw at you to it."

"...So it was a lucky shot, then," he said with a snort and a wicked grin. Sheena rolled her eyes and, choosing to ignore that, headed back into the bathroom, closing the door behind her. "Y'know, if you want this soap back, you'll have to come down here and get it!" he called up to her. "Or, better yet, I could bring it to you myself...."

...Oh, right. Showers required soap. Whoops. She pulled open the drawer under the sink and smirked. Bingo. "That's okay, I found another one here!"

Even through the door, she could hear him grumbling -- so loudly and exaggeratedly that she knew it was intentional so she would hear him. "That's it, I'm never letting Sebastian keep the extra soap in there again. All it does is ruin perfect opportunities to peek at naked women." Sheena closed her eyes, groaned, and shook her head -- but her smile was building again, too, at his ridiculous antics. Opening her eyes and opting to ignore him, she grabbed a bath sponge and soaked it under some warm water to wash her face. "Now, let's see...what can I do that'll make you throw that one at me, too?"

_Oh, great Jizou_! Sheena opened the door, returned to the balcony, and threw her sponge at him, bursting out laughing as that, too, squarely hit his head, followed by the anticipated whining about how his pretty hair was all wet now. Before he could respond further, though, Sheena spun around, retreated back into the bathroom, and, still laughing, turned on the hot water in the bathtub to signal their 'conversation' was now over. Seriously, what _was_ she getting herself into with him? While he'd proven himself capable of heart-tuggingly beautiful moments, obviously the idiot wasn't entirely an act for him; it was a part of him. So was this really what she wanted? A relationship filled with bizarre teasing and innuendo that resulted in her throwing soap and wet sponges at him?

The answer quickly hit her. Yes, it was. Because for as masochistic as he was, egging her on even though he knew how she'd respond, for perhaps the first time ever she could see it for what it really was: not something meant to be serious, but just Zelos having fun and enjoying life and trying to make her have fun and enjoy life right along with him. And to her surprise, now that she _wasn't_ taking it so seriously, Sheena found she was actually having fun playing along with him.

A glance at the door showed she'd forgotten to relock it this last time she'd come back in, and leaving the water running, she headed back to it to do so. Upon reaching it, though, she stopped and listened as she heard Sebastian's voice coming from downstairs. "Master Zelos, may I ask you a question?"

"Shoot," Zelos replied.

"It is obvious you care greatly for Miss Sheena. Why, then, do you persist in antagonizing her like this?"

"Heh." Zelos paused, then went on, his voice barely discernable over the running water. "Did you see her face just now?"

"I did."

"Was she smiling?"

"She was."

"Thought so. Lovely, wasn't it? That smile is, hands down, the most beautiful thing I've ever seen. So if she was smiling...then there you go. Mission accomplished."

"Ah, I see," Sebastian said warmly. "Very good, sir."

For a moment, her heart caught in her throat, and she leaned back against the wall, stunned. Oh, Zelos. So that was his intent. And again, she had to acknowledge that yes, she really was in love with that idiotic man -- a man who might _act_ like an idiot but really wasn't one at all. Far from it, actually; nearly everything he said and did seemed to be deliberate, meant to achieve an end only his scheming mind knew. Blushing deeply, Sheena smiled again, nearly succumbing to the urge to go back downstairs and kiss him -- but she quickly suppressed it. He didn't need to know she'd heard that, because he'd likely only said it because he _didn't_ think she'd hear it, and if he knew she had, he'd probably backpedal from it out of embarrassment. She might have to surprise him with a kiss after her shower, though, even if she never told him her reasoning for doing so.

And with that confirmed, even more of her fears and reservations fell away. She still had one more massive hurdle to overcome before she could rest assured 'they' would last beyond a day (which she _would_ take care of today, no matter how terrified she now was of doing so), but if that really was the reasoning behind his idiocy...she could trust him. And while she didn't believe her smile was 'beautiful,' she _did_ believe he'd sincerely wanted to _make_ her smile, and that thought gave her such a warm, excited feeling inside that her smile broadened and she couldn't help whispering, "You idiot."

Her gaze fell on the lock again, but it just wasn't necessary. Zelos really was all talk. He wouldn't peek at her, and the last time, when he'd suddenly appeared in the women's shower room in Sybak and gaped at her, probably had been an accident like he'd claimed. She didn't need to lock the door to keep him out; he would. Casting one last glance at it, she headed back to the sink, locating another sponge and wetting it. And as she pulled the ribbon from her hair, letting it fall free, and observed her reflection in the mirror, she found that not only was she still blushing, but she was still smiling, too.

It felt really good to smile like that. And 'beautiful' or not, for the first time in years, Sheena actually liked what she saw looking back at her from the mirror.

*

Zelos was pretty sure he'd spent the past half hour grinning like an idiot, judging from how Sheena kept rolling her eyes every time she looked at him. Half an hour ago, upon finishing her shower, she'd climbed down the stairs, joined him on the couch, and, without a word, given him the sweetest, most unexpected kiss he'd ever received before grinning and quickly retreating upstairs to 'her' room. The gesture had left him not only speechless, but frozen in place a moment before he'd finally regained his senses, realized what had happened, and rushed upstairs after her to a) figure out where _that_ had come from, and b) see if he could get another one. She'd locked her door before he'd reached her -- and had then soundly ignored his pleas for an explanation -- but that hadn't erased the fact that when she'd reemerged, her hair tied up and her traveling bag in hand, walked past where he was leaning against the wall, and headed back downstairs, she'd had a beautiful smile on her lips and an endearingly rosy blush on her cheeks.

She never had answered him, just smiled coyly yet teasingly, but he was still ridiculously happy -- and he really liked that she'd been able to surprise him like that. Over the years, many women had tried to catch him off his guard, and at first they had (at least until he'd realized they all did the same things to 'surprise' him), but it had been years since one had managed to do so like that. Most, in fact, were so predictable that he could recite the entire conversation before it happened and identify which body part they'd touch to seduce him. But this...he liked this better, not knowing what to expect from her or what she'd say or do to shatter more of his preconceived notions about her. It gave him hope that his goal of getting her to loosen up and enjoy life more wouldn't be too hard to attain.

And now, after collecting her from his garden, where she'd been wandering around, admiring his iris, while he'd discussed a few things with Sebastian, they were finally heading out. The second they left his front door, though, every nobleman around stopped whatever they were doing and looked at them. Apparently, he'd been right before; the city was already busy gossiping about them. He knew he should care that everyone was staring, because Sheena had made it clear she hated being the center of attention, but at the moment, doing so was nearly impossible when he was still reveling over everything, not just the kiss but the sheer _amazingness _of this woman and all of the positive changes that had now happened between them. Yesterday at this time he'd been dreading ever seeing her again, and now....

"Oh, don't tell me you're still trying to figure it out!" Sheena suddenly said, derailing his thoughts.

Heh. There was the eye roll again, which meant he was probably smiling again. He chuckled and raised his hands in a show of innocence. "What? I want to know what I did right so I can do it again and get another kiss like that! I'm not going to give up until I've figure this out!"

Sheena released an exasperated but amused sigh. "Okay, fine. _I felt like it_. There. Are you happy now?"

He blinked several times. Was she _serious_? "You _felt _like it? _Really_?"

Her eyebrows flew upward. "What, I can't do that?"

Whoa, he was _not _letting her believe _that_. And, he reminded himself, he'd better not give her _too_ hard of a time about this or she'd think twice about ever doing it again. He knew he was treading on shaky ground with her and that saying even one thing wrong could drive her away in a furious, disgusted rage, and he refused to let that happen. He would do his best to rein himself in...but oh, did old habits die hard sometimes. "Are you _kidding_? Of course you are! You can do that anytime you'd like -- the more the better, I say. I'm just having a hard time believing there was no reason for it except that you _'felt like it_._'_"

"So just 'feeling like it' isn't a good enough reason?" she countered as they descended the steps to the street. "That's the last thing I'd expect to hear coming from _you_, Mr. Impulsive, since nearly everything you do is because you _'feel like it_.'"

Well, okay, he couldn't deny that, but he just wasn't buying her reasoning yet, either. That kiss had been too amazing, too deliberate, too..._meaningful_. There had to be more to it. He wouldn't _over _push this, but the urge to tease her was just too great, and common sense, which told him to knock it off, couldn't compete. At least they were still safely in 'playful' mode. "So does that mean _I_ get to kiss _you_ every time _I_ just _'feel like it'_?" he said, smirking. "I mean, it is only fair that if you can do it, I can, too."

Her eyes narrowed sharply, but the smile toying on her lips betrayed her. "Why do I get the feeling I'd seriously regret answering that question with a 'yes'?"

He tried -- but failed -- to bite back his laugh in time. "Babe, are you implying I'd never leave you alone if you gave me permission to do that?"

"Gee, what would _ever_ give me _that_ impression?" she said, her smile breaking out in full.

"Heh, I guess you really do know me too well."

Sheena nudged his arm with her elbow, beaming him another beautiful smile that more than made up for her not giving him a real answer. "You're an idiot."

"Yeah...I am," he conceded.

Okay, so she'd won this battle. He'd be a man, admit defeat, and stop. She had her reasons, and she obviously didn't want to tell him -- and if he knew one thing about Sheena, it was that she liked keeping her secrets. It apparently came with being a ninja, and he could accept that. At least he already knew that about her -- although he hoped if this relationship continued that she wouldn't become _too_ secretive with him. But he'd cross that bridge when they came to it. Right now, after all, he had something more important to deal with: Sheena's beautiful smile was fading as she finally noticed all the noblemen staring at them. Obviously, she wasn't happy knowing these people were 'gossiping' about them. He had debated showing her that newspaper article at all, but ultimately he'd decided to; that, too, he'd learned about her, how much she hated not knowing what was going on, especially when it involved her. He still wasn't sure he'd made the right choice with that, but he suspected _not_ telling her would have pissed her off worse, and so he wouldn't second-guess it. What was done was done, and that was that.

Without warning, her body jumped to full alertness and her footsteps slowed, and Zelos looked sharply at her, only to find her staring at...aw, crap. Three of his hunnies were huddled together in the street, fanning themselves and scowling as they eyed her like hawks. He should have known they'd be watching his mansion this morning, eager to see if he really was back. Stepping closer to Sheena, he placed a hand to her back to keep her moving. "Hey, ignore them. They're just jealous I'm talking to you, not them."

Sheena glanced at him, her smile gone and her body stiff, then looked back at his hunnies. "That's easy for you to say. Act or not, you at least _like_ attention. My instincts are suspicious of anyone who so much as looks at me wrong -- and _they,_" she motioned at the women, "are definitely looking at me wrong."

Yeah, no kidding. They were outright glaring at her now, probably because he'd (_Martel forbid!_) _touched_ her, and every now and then they whispered amongst themselves. And...oh, right. The blonde in the gaudy red dress, Greta, was the one who'd called Sheena those nasty names at that party -- names that had resulted in him leaving altogether to ponder the part he wanted his hunnies to play in his life. Sheena hadn't heard her then, but he sure had. Granted, it had turned out in their favor anyway since they wouldn't be here if he _hadn't_ overheard them, but still...agh, he really couldn't stand them sometimes.

Seriously, what did they think he was? A trophy, and they were his guardians? They were possessive, vicious, garishly fake women who rivaled Cruxis, Yggdrasil, and the Pope for the title of Most Obnoxious, Persistent Adversary Ever. They acted as if they owned him, as if they alone could make his decisions for him -- although if they'd known _anything_ about him, then they'd know how much he detested people who wouldn't let him make his own choices. He'd put up with them because the Chosen act dictated it, and because their 'love' had felt nice (when he'd ignored its fakeness and shallowness, of course) and stroked his shaky ego, but now, foreseeing how they would soon be trying to chase Sheena out of his life for good...he wanted to toss them in the mud pit where they belonged. Preferably wearing their fanciest, ugliest dresses.

...And just like that, a sudden, evil flash of inspiration hit him. He could finally do it; he could get rid of them for good, let them know where they -- and, more importantly, _Sheena_ \-- stood with him. Sure, it meant burning some long-standing bridges on the slim chance this relationship would last, and if it didn't, he'd be left with nothing, not even these horrid women, but he was ready to take that chance. He wanted this...and he knew just how to make it happen. Of course, doing so meant taking a huge chance with Sheena...and in her current, tense state, he wasn't sure how she'd react. In fact, he was pretty sure it could backfire completely and wreck everything, sacrificing any trust she had in him and leaving her smacking the hell out of him. But on the other hand, if Sheena didn't freak out and it worked, it could potentially get those women off their backs for good. At the very least, it would end the rampant speculation currently buzzing around Meltokio about them.

Deciding to be brave and go with it, because after their earlier discussion, Zelos was pretty sure he could lay out an acceptable argument that placated her anger, he gently grabbed Sheena's arm to stop her. "What do you say we have a little fun with this and give them something worth looking at?" he asked.

Instantly, her eyes narrowed. "What are you scheming, Zelos?"

He smirked, but it quickly faltered as nervousness accompanied his realization that he really _didn't _know how she would react to this. He had to do something, though, and if this worked..._oh, this better work_. "Just go with it, love, and try to resist the urge to smack me until we've left Meltokio or you'll ruin the effect," he said, gently touching her cheek. "Once we're out of town, feel free to smack me all you'd like."

Sheena blinked several times. "Zelos, what...?"

He didn't let her finish; he just leaned down and kissed her, cupping her face with his hands so she couldn't escape from him. For a moment, she was still, clearly stunned -- and probably trying to devise a painful way to kill him -- but then, to _his_ surprise, she relaxed and sank into it. Figuring he was in the clear, and since it felt so damned good, he deepened the kiss, thrilled when her arms wrapped around his neck...and there it was, that little moan he was completely addicted to hearing, the one that sent oodles of enticing sensations through him. No, he would never get enough of this, and it amazed and encouraged him to realize she'd accepted this instead of fighting it. She'd let him kiss her out in public, and that meant...heh, that meant she was so distracted by the kiss that she'd forgotten their audience. Good.

Zelos wanted to do the same, just forget everything and enjoy it, but he couldn't because he really haddone this for a specific reason. So after several long, oh-so-perfect moments, he slowly pulled away -- and then smiled as he saw her eyes were still closed in a hazy daze of pleasure. Finally, she looked up at him as he gently touched her cheek...and then her face turned bright red as she realized they were standing in the street with his hunnies gaping on nearby. She bit her lip, her eyes darting around nervously, then looked back at him a brief instant before her gaze fell to his chest. "You are such an idiot," she murmured, her hands lowering to his arms.

"What?" he said, grinning as her eyes darted back up to his. "_I felt like it_." He arched a pointed eyebrow, needing her to realize this part was crucial. "And remember, save the _'this Idiot Chosen needs a good smackdown'_ thing for once we've left Meltokio. If we're lucky, this'll end the _'are there or aren't they?'_ speculation everyone's currently doing about us."

Sheena watched him uncertainly, but then she looked around, her face still red -- but, Zelos noted, she hadn't backed away from him yet, either. "You know," she began, looking back at him with -- _oh, thank Martel_ \-- a faint, albeit embarrassed, smile, "you won't get away with pulling a stunt like that in Mizuho."

His heart skipped a beat -- not only hadn't she slapped him or stormed away from him for kissing her like that, thus declaring to everyone that yes, he really _was_ in love with a ninja, but her words implied she wouldn't mind if he visited her in Mizuho sometime -- but then he sighed, realizing what she was saying. Oh, right. _That_. "Yeah, I figured. That whole 'no public displays of affection' rule you guys have, right?" Sheena nodded shyly, her head dipping downward, but Zelos just chuckled. He'd hate it -- because damn, did he want to show off this amazing woman who loved _him_ to everyone -- but he'd have to grin and bear it, because Mizuho was just weird that way. "Then we'll just have to save that for here, eh?"

She gave him a warning glare, but her embarrassed smile killed its effect. "We'll see."

...And 'we'll see' in Sheena speak was as close to permission as Zelos would probably ever get, so he'd take it. He grinned, then gave her another quick kiss, unable to resist when she looked so utterly adorable and was standing so close to him, and returned his hand to her back, guiding her down the street again, smirking at the gapes marring his hunnies' artificially perfect faces. Seeing them approaching, Greta said something to the other two, and then, as expected, the three began strutting toward them. Again, Sheena stiffened, and afraid she would either bolt or beat the crap out of them, Zelos wrapped his arm around her waist, drawing her closer to him. Yes, he'd now made his decision about his hunnies' role in his life, and he wanted her to know that. He would burn these bridges. It was the right decision, and this was the right time to do it. For the first time in his life, it _felt_ right.

"Let me handle this," he said.

Sheena's eyes snapped to his, still radiating definite wariness. "What are you going to do?"

Zelos gave her a soft, pleading smile. "Trust me, Sheena. Please?"

For a moment she just eyed him, visibly debating that -- he knew he was asking far more of her than he deserved considering he had yet to prove he had any trustworthy, redeeming qualities at all -- but finally she nodded. Oh, thank Martel. He wanted to earn her trust and prove he wouldn't mess this up, and he was relieved she was giving him a chance to do so. Now he just hoped his hunnies continued being so predictable and that he didn't accidentally say something wrong that decimated the trust she'd placed in him.

Seconds later, the three women arrived and, in the blink of an eye, as if it choreographed, their nasty glares transformed into saccharine smiles -- as if they really thought he wouldn't notice the change. "Oh, _Master Zelos_!" Greta cried, latching onto his free arm. "I am _so_ glad to see you've returned safely!"

"So am _I_, Master Zelos!" the second one, a redhead in a hideous green dress whose name he thought was Cecelia, said, stopping beside Greta.

"I was _so_ concerned when you vanished from the king's party, Chosen One!" the third one, Penelope, a brunette wearing a frilly blue dress, added.

"Yes, Master Zelos, you promised me a dance that night, and I _know_ you would never break your promise unless something was seriously wrong!" Greta said.

...If these women were any more over the top, they would be orbiting Derris Kharlan. It took all his effort to plaster the smooth smile onto his face and not ruin the mask by rolling his eyes or shaking Greta off his arm -- or narrowing his eyes in concern as Sheena bristled and folded her arms to her chest, glaring dangerously at his hunnies. He pulled his hand from her waist, praying she could be patient until he could play all his cards, and then turned to the women. "Hunnies, hunnies, of _course_ the Great Zelos is back safely! You didn't really think I'd let a few monsters hinder my ability to return to you, did you?"

Penelope giggled. "Of course not, Master Zelos!"

"You're so strong, I'm sure they fell immediately beneath your blade!" Cecelia cooed.

Beaming him a seductive smile, Greta trailed her fingers over his bicep, mimicked a minute later by Cecelia. A glance at Sheena showed she was now looking away and rolling her eyes, her lips pursed and her arms nearly strangling her chest. Uh oh. He may have overcome one major hurdle with her when she'd let him kiss her in public, but now he clearly had another to worry about: her nonexistent patience when it came to his hunnies and their groping of him. Okay, so _that_ part had to stop, at least.

"Ladies, ladies, please!" he said as suavely as he could muster. "Remember Rule #4."

Thankfully, both Greta and Cecelia immediately released him, giggling in mock embarrassment, although neither stepped backwards...so much for respecting personal space. "Sorry, Master Zelos," Greta said.

"Me, too!" Cecelia added.

Sheena's eyes darted at him curiously, but she didn't say anything.

"So are you going away again anytime soon, Master Zelos?" Cecelia asked.

"Yes, Chosen One, you still owe me a dance!" Greta said.

"Me, too!" Cecelia countered, shooting Greta an annoyed glare that said she refused to be one-upped by her. _Gee, what a surprise_, Zelos thought, restraining an evil grin. _They're not getting along. Again_. They would band together to keep decent people like Sheena away from their precious Chosen, but beyond that, they were competitors for his affection and they knew it. Oh, if they only knew how much fun he'd had manipulating the pieces to egg on their rivalry....

"And me!" Penelope added cheerfully.

...And then there was Penny, who was utterly clueless. Cute, sweet, and a little nicer than the others, but she had no brain worth mentioning; all she did was tag along with her big sister, Greta, because her parents told her to, and agree with whatever was said. "Well, my lovelies, I'm afraid you may be waiting awhile since no more parties are currently planned wherein we could enjoy ourselves," Zelos said, sighing showily. "And I'm also afraid my time here looks to be pretty limited. Now that I'm back, I have a _thousand_ things I need to do. I _am _the Chosen, after all."

"Oh, of _course_ you are!" Penelope said.

"I know you'll spend _every_ second of your free time with _me_, Master Zelos!" Greta said.

"I'll wait with bated breath for the moment you knock on my door!" Cecelia added, twirling a curly lock of red hair with her finger.

Egads, these women couldn't be more pathetic if they tried. Sheena, unsurprisingly, looked like her feeble patience with this was wearing thin, and again Zelos found himself starting to worry she would storm off in disgust soon. _C'mon, hunnies, get to the point,_ he silently begged them. _I know you're dying to, because you're just that predictable, and I don't have all day here while you try to outdo each other in showing me what I'm missing out on by not dating you. But nothing you try will work, so give up already. Quit flirting and preening and trying to drag me home with you; all you're doing is making me realize how amazing Sheena is -- and how lucky I am that she's still talking to me after the ass I've been to her. So whadda ya say we get this over with already?_

"Of _course_ you will!" he said smoothly, beaming them the fakest smile he could. If they'd been paying attention, they would have caught his sarcasm, but they were too busy batting their eyelashes at him to notice it. "The Great Zelos's hunnies are the most _amazing_, _devoted_, _loyal_ fans in the _entire_ _world_!"

All three giggled, but finally, _finally_, Greta turned her eyes to Sheena, her expression instantly transforming from coy and flirty to outright _scathing_. "So what is _she_ doing here? If you really wished for company on your first night back in Meltokio, Master Zelos, you should have come to see _me_! I would have been _more_ than happy to entertain you!"

"No, _I_ would've been!" Cecelia countered.

"But _I_ would've made it the most worth your while, Chosen One!" Penelope said with a pout.

Oh, good. The subject had finally shifted to Sheena. Time to get this show started. "Now, now, settle down," Zelos said, lifting his hands to calm them -- well, technically to 'shoo' them, but short of a miracle, they'd never realize that. Hell, even if he directly told them to get lost, they wouldn't. They'd just think he was having a bad day and would try again tomorrow. But this...this might just work. "Remember rule #3."

The women looked at each other uncertainly, their question obvious: _'Which rule was that?'_ At least they'd remembered Rule #4, the one that forbade manhandling the Great Zelos, probably because he'd had to use it so often with them. Suddenly, Cecelia beamed him a huge, proud smile. "Oh! You mean the one that says all hunnies must get along with each other...."

Recognition lit the others' eyes. "Oh! Because if they don't, it makes the Great Zelos very, very sad!" Penelope finished.

"Hey, _I_ was going to say that!" Greta said, smacking Penelope's arm.

Penelope ignored her and touched her lips thoughtfully. "Or was it the one that said hunnies must respect the Great Zelos's need to speak with all other hunnies...."

Greta's face lit up. "Oh! All other hunnies in the name of spreading the love?"

Sheena glanced at him again, her eyes narrowing curiously, but Zelos grinned smugly. She'd figure it out. "Actually, that one's #6." He pointed at Cecelia. "_You_, my darling hunny, were right the first time."

Cecelia beamed in delight, but Greta rolled her eyes and looked back at Sheena, her scowl deepening. "But Master Zelos, if all of your hunnies are supposed to get along, then what about _her_?" She pointed accusingly at Sheena. "She's glaring at me right now!"

Yeah, she was. Glaring daggers, actually. Honestly, he wished she was punching Greta in the face, but it was probably best that she wasn't. And now, to play his first card. He shrugged. "Eh, she's exempt from that rule because she's not a hunny."

For a moment, everyone just blinked at him, Sheena included, but then Greta's eyes darted at her, an evil smirk appearing on her perfectly painted red lips. "Wait, so if she's not a hunny, then we don't have to try to get along with the likes of _her_ anymore, do we?"

"Filthy ninjas have no right to be talking to someone as great as Master Zelos," Cecelia spat, similarly glaring at Sheena.

"Or..._kissing_ him," Greta said, her face wrinkling in disgust as her eyes trailed down Sheena's body. "Especially looking like _that_."

Zelos quickly touched Sheena's back again as her face reddened in barely restrained fury. Her fuse was nearly burst, and he could _not_ have her running off yet. He needed her to take the high road here, be better than these women, and not let them get under her skin or else she'd beat them to a bloody pulp and be banned from Meltokio permanently. She'd been patient with this idiocy so far, still extending him the trust he'd asked for, but he could see that patience was verging on empty, and if that happened, his entire attempt to win a modicum of her trust would not only end in failure, but it would destroy any trust she'd ever had for him. And he'd be damned if he let that happen. Time to play his ace.

He gave his hunnies a stern look and lifted a finger in warning. "Ah, ah, ah. I would be very careful what you say about her, my darling hunnies. I won't stand for that kind of talk about this lovely lady anymore."

They gaped at him a moment, but Cecelia quickly recovered. "But she's...."

Penelope nodded with more urgency than Zelos had ever seen from her. "She's so...."

"Ugh!" Greta cried, motioning derisively at Sheena. "Just _look_ at her!"

His eyebrows rose. "Remember Rule #1."

They blinked a moment uncertainly, then looked at each other again for the answer. Penelope scratched her head. "Which one is that?"

"Is that the one about gifts for the Chosen having to go to either the Chosen himself or to his butler, not to his friends?" Cecelia suggested.

"No, that's Rule #7," Greta replied, shaking her head. "Is it the one about how we have to wait our turn because he only has one body and can't please us all at once?"

"But I thought that was Rule #5," Penelope said.

"Wait, are you saying you don't remember Rule #1, the most important rule of them all?" Zelos interrupted, feigning shock. "The one that results in all offenders being banned from the official ranks of hunnies forever?"

Their eyes widened in panic -- the smirk was getting ridiculously hard to resist now -- and a glance at Sheena showed she was watching him closely again, her eyes narrowed, clearly curious what he was doing. "I don't...I don't remember!" Greta cried in despair.

"I'm so sorry, Master Zelos!" Cecelia said, to all appearances on the verge of real tears. _Serves her right for calling Sheena a 'filthy ninja.'_

"We've failed you!" Penelope said. "Please remind us!"

Zelos sighed, making it as showily sorrowful as he could, and lifted his hand to his chest in 'dismay.' He was evil, and he knew it, and he really didn't care. They deserved this. "I am _so_ disappointed. Rule #1: Hunnies must treat the Great Zelos's girlfriend with the utmost respect." His eyebrows flew upward as he looked between them expectantly. "Ringing any bells yet?" Heh...of course it wasn't, because he was Evil, with a capital E. It was official: his sheer evilness rivaled his sheer prettiness. He sighed again at their clueless expressions. "Then I suppose you don't remember the detailed breakdown of that rule either, do you? Okay, fine. Here it is. Detailed breakdown of Rule #1: Hunnies may not badmouth, belittle, berate, glare at, gossip about, lie to, lie about, scheme against, or in any other mental, physical, or emotional way attempt to harm the Great Zelos's girlfriend, nor can they attempt to monopolize the time that the Great Zelos wishes to spend with said girlfriend. No exceptions will be tolerated. Any hunny caught doing so, or is indicted by his girlfriend as having done so, will suffer the ultimate consequences of her actions and be exiled from the exalted group of hunnies around the world forever, with no possibility of ever being reinstated."

All three women blinked at him blankly. "Your..._girlfriend_?" Penelope ventured.

"You can't possibly be talking about..._her_," Greta said, wrinkling her nose in disgust.

"But you deserve so much better than someone like _her_!" Cecelia said, even more tears filling her eyes.

"Rule #2," Zelos said, but then sighed again at their perplexed expressions. He was having _way_ too much fun with this. "Hunnies must respect the Great Zelos's decision to name a very special lady as his one and only girlfriend. And Sheena here gets that honor." He chanced another glance at Sheena, only to find her face was red and her eyes were wide, betraying how stunned and conflicted she was. He arched an eyebrow as she fumbled for a response, then quirked a smile. He couldn't pass by this opportunity, and he hoped she'd understand that. "What, you're _not_ my girlfriend? Because if you're not, then you and I have significantly different interpretations of what happened last night...."

Sheena gasped and her blush deepened at his insinuation, but for once, surprising and embarrassing her weren't his goals. Instead, relief swept through him as his hunnies looked at each other, aghast, before Greta finally lifted her nose and huffed, turning her back on him. "Come on, ladies, let's get out of here," she said. The other two mimicked her childish act of snobbery, and then all three strutted away, fanning themselves in a completely stupid, unwarranted manner seeing as it wasn't even 70 degrees yet.

"See ya later, hunnies!" Zelos called after them, smirking, but once they were safely out of earshot, he turned back to Sheena, his smile vanishing, suddenly feeling nervous again. Now to see if he'd passed the test. He needed to know this, desperately, because if they _were_ on different pages, then he'd have to make some behavioral adjustments ASAP. "It's a serious question. Yes? No?"

For a moment, Sheena eyed him, but then, thank Martel, she smiled, her gaze falling downward shyly. "Of...of course I am. I'm just...I'm not used to thinking in those terms yet."

Zelos released his breath and grinned. Test successfully passed. And she hadn't even smacked him for that public kiss or for his inaccurate insinuation that they'd slept together last night! "Oh, good, because I was really hoping I wasn't misinterpreting everything." He paused, his grin faltering. "And to be honest...I'm not used to thinking in those terms yet, either."

Okay, so he hadn't actually meant to say that aloud, but his nerves had gotten the better of him, and he couldn't take it back now. At least she met his eyes again. Even he was utterly amazed how nervous he felt with her. He'd known her for years and been so comfortable with their previous dysfunctional relationship that venturing into new terrain like this, while exactly what he'd dreamt of all those years, was...strange. He didn't feel fully at ease with her in this capacity yet, and he was constantly reminding himself not only that was this real, but that he couldn't say stupid things to her anymore. In fact, he felt like he was dancing with two left feet to a dance he didn't know yet, one he was desperately trying to figure out so he didn't completely mess it up and make his new dance partner regret choosing him. At least she seemed to be just as uncertain and clumsy with this dance as he was.

But this wasn't the right time to figure that out. Clearing his throat, Zelos gently touched her back again. "Anyway, let's get you back to Mizuho before a scout shows up who'll kill me for delaying you."

Her gaze landed briefly on his chest, but then she nodded and gave him another shy smile, and they resumed walking out of Meltokio. She cast one last glance at his retreating hunnies. "Hey, Zelos?"

"Hm?"

"Th...thanks."

Zelos gave her a curious, uncertain look. "For what?"

She motioned at his hunnies. "For getting them off my back like that."

"Ah." _Oh, Sheena, if you only knew_. He'd done that for many reasons, but making her life easier was definitely one of them. He grinned. "The pleasure was all mine."

"I know you just lost a lot of points with them, and I'm sure the rest of your fan club will know about this soon." Her eyes darted briefly at him before falling to the ground, still blushing. "I really appreciate it."

Damn, it felt good to know he'd done well by her. Iota of trust earned. While he doubted he'd ever gain her full trust after six years of untrustworthiness that he could never undo, how could it hurt to make that his ultimate goal? "Heh. I know you're perfectly capable of kicking their asses to Niflheim anytime you want, babe, but believe me, I've been looking forward to doing _that_ for years. They deserved it." He shrugged. "At least now they should think twice before saying anything to you." Leaving Meltokio's upper class section, Zelos looped his arm through hers, pleased to feel her only hesitate a second before she covered it with her free hand -- _okay, Wilder, your girlfriend is letting you touch her like this, and so you __**are not**__ going to grope her or do anything else inappropriate, no matter how much your hand wants to 'slip' elsewhere _\-- and then he drew her closer to him as they headed toward the steps leading down to the lower class section. "And by all means, tell me if they give you any hassle. I can't say I'd be terribly upset to ban them all from calling themselves my hunnies anymore."

"I will." She gave him a curious look as they descended the steps. "So you set up rules for your hunnies?"

Ah, finally. He'd wondered when she'd ask about that. "It was the only way to keep them under control. If you haven't noticed, they get rather...clingy and possessive...without any checks and bounds."

She snorted. "Yeah, I noticed. Hard not to. I've just never heard you use them before."

"That's because I never had to with you." Zelos cocked his head and quirked a playful smile. "Although in retrospect, the _'no manhandling the Great Zelos'_ one would've spared me a lot of bruises...."

Sheena chuckled and nudged him with her elbow. "Eh, you deserved every one of them."

He pretended to think about that. He had -- oh, had he deserved them -- but not wanting her to realize how much that tugged on the guilt he'd buried for years that was now leaking through the cracks she'd been poking at ever since that party, he sighed, keeping his tone light. "Yeah, I really can't deny that."

"And were those really Rules #1 and 2?" she asked.

Zelos gave her a wicked grin. "They are now."

Her footsteps slowed and her jaw dropped as she watched him. "You just _made them up_?"

"Heh." He tugged on her arm to get her walking again. "I always left Rules #1 and 2 open in case I ever needed to get them out of my hair for good. This seemed like a good time to finally set those in stone."

Sheena gaped at him another moment, but then she burst out laughing and playfully smacked his arm. "I can't believe you, Zelos. You're terrible!"

"And _you_, my dear, are worth it."

Instantly, her eyes widened and her blush deepened, and a moment later her head dipped downward again -- but, he noted, she was still smiling, too. Oh, how he loved leaving her speechless. "Idiot."

So much fondness laced her voice that his footsteps briefly slowed and his heart skipped a beat. He grinned and pressed a kiss to her temple, his heart pounding faster as she leaned into him. 'Strange' or not, Zelos was definitely liking this relaxed affection with her. Now he just had to keep it up so he could get even more adorable little moments like this with her. And knowing it was a possibility...he would behave himself. He wouldn't push her away anymore, or grope her, or tease her, or hurt her. He _wouldn't_. He would live up to her faith in him and see where this relationship went. If it didn't last, well, then that was that, but he'd sure as hell do everything he could to make sure it did.

The two continued walking through Meltokio in silence, until finally they were leaving the main gate and heading north. Zelos released her arm -- he'd made his statement to Meltokio, and he didn't want to make her uncomfortable by coming across as too clingy or overly tactile -- and then he lifted his hands behind his head, reveling in the clear blue sky of one of the most beautiful mornings he could remember. And speaking of being tactile, they needed to have this conversation, too, so he knew what he could safely do with her.

"So...about this rule Mizuho has regarding public displays of affection," he began. Martel, between that smile on her lips and the sun beating down on her, she was utterly gorgeous. "What's considered a 'public display of affection'? Obviously a kiss is off limits, but beyond that...."

Sheena chuckled, her gaze falling downward. "Sorry, but everything else is off limits, too. No touching of any kind."

His eyes narrowed and he lowered his hands. 'Of _any_ kind'? "None whatsoever? Not even a hug?"

"Nope."

"Holding hands?"

"Nope."

"I can't even touch you? Not even like this?" He poked her arm with his finger.

Sheena grinned and shook her head. "Nope."

Okay, that was ridiculous. He'd struggled for years to keep his hands off of her because she was just that hot, and now, when he finally _could _touch her without eliciting her wrath, he wasn't allowed to do so while in her village? "But I distinctly remember you slugging me there that one time...."

She rolled her eyes. "Slugging someone isn't a public display of affection; it's a public display of aggravation. _Those_ are allowed."

Zelos gave her a teasing smirk. "I dunno, in your case I'm pretty sure it was a display of affection...."

She blushed and shot him a mild glare. "You just keep telling yourself that."

He chuckled -- _oh, I will, Sheena; I definitely will_ \-- but instead of saying that, he released a sad, showy sigh. "Talk about a village being no fun."

"Maybe, but if you don't want to be permanently banned, you'll have to follow that rule," she said. "You realize that, right?"

"Yeah, yeah, I know," he grumbled, waving that off. "But that doesn't mean I have to like it."

Sheena snorted. "Feel free to be as miserable and whiny about it as you'd like, but you still have to follow the rules while you're there."

Well, on the bright side, it wasn't like he'd expected to win that fight. He wasn't happy about it, but it wasn't like he would only see her in Mizuho. And if it really drove him crazy, then he wouldn't go there more than necessary...although refusing to spend time with Sheena unless he could touch her _was_ pretty stupid. It wasn't like physical touching was the only aspect of this relationship he was looking forward to. She was right; he'd just have to suck it up and follow the rules if he wanted to see her, which he did.

But now that she'd clarified this rule, Zelos couldn't help wondering what other silly rules they had. "Man, Mizuho really is traditional with relationships, isn't it?"

"Mm hmm," she said, looking away from him. "Very."

Hmm...she was tensing and her face was somber again. Something was obviously bothering her -- which meant there was more to this than she'd told him yet. "So what about when we're not in public?"

Her eyes fell downward, her blush returning. "Still very traditional."

"Can I at least touch you if we're not walking around Mizuho?" he asked.

"Yeah."

"Hug you?"

"Yeah."

Definitely getting better now. "Kiss you?"

She smirked and arched an eyebrow at him. "_I've_ already kissed _you_, haven't I?"

Zelos grinned sappily, remembering those amazing kisses -- kisses that would be feeding his fantasies for weeks to come. "Yeah, you have. And what lovely kisses they were, too. Seriously, I can't imagine a worse torture than not being able to get an occasional kiss from my sexy, voluptuous girlfriend."

Her blush deepened and her head sank downward as she chuckled. "As long as no one from Mizuho sees it, they're fine with it." She opened her mouth as if to say more, but then she glanced at him, closed it, and looked away again. _Okay, she __**definitely**__ has something else to say, but she must not feel comfortable doing so...which means whatever it is, I __**really**__ need to hear it_. Before he could push, though, she went on, her gaze focused on the ground. "Well, they're fine with _those_ things, at least. Anything beyond that, though, they're...um, they're not."

...Ah. Her blush was blazing in full, her body was stiff, and she still wasn't looking at him -- all of which told him what she meant. A momentary panic hit him at what that might mean for _them_, but he quickly shoved it aside. No, she wasn't saying that; she was just saying her people disapproved of it. Granted, she was clearly uncomfortable with the prospect and especially with talking to _him _about it, probably because of his infamous, albeit inaccurate, reputation as a Casanova-esque paramour, but that still didn't mean his worst-case scenario was correct. He needed more information before jumping to conclusions.

So, now, how to do that without actually _asking_ her that. "But I thought I'd heard Mizuho was actually very open about that. Like, as open as Meltokio is. Y'know, ninjas using seduction as a method of espionage."

Sheena nodded, but it was too quick and stilted -- and she wouldn't look at him, either. She'd never been one to talk openly about sexuality, just beat him up whenever _he _did, but this went beyond modesty. This was an almost palpable embarrassment. But why? "It...it was, a long time ago," she said slowly, carefully. "But now that's changed. We still use seduction to get information, but women aren't permitted to go...that far...with it anymore."

Zelos watched her closely, his eyes narrowing. "So what changed that?"

He'd be amused by how red her face was if her inability to look at him wasn't so alarming. "Five generations ago, Mizuho's chief learned his wife had been...disappointed...in him as a lover before they'd been married and had taken another man into her bed instead," she said, her voice soft and reluctant. "Cheating was severely frowned on at the time, but it wasn't punishable unless the couple was married before it happened. But then...well, even after they'd married, the woman kept sleeping with her other lover...and the son she had turned out to be the other man's, not her husband's. When the chief found out, he, ah, went on a jealous rampage and killed his wife, her lover, the son, and then himself."

...Oh. Yeah, he could see where this was going, especially if it was the _chief_ who'd done that. "Lovely."

Sheena bit her lip and folded her arms tightly to her chest as they continued walking. "Because Mizuho is so small and can't afford to lose people like that, the next chief established the rule that forbade all premarital sexual relations. Basically, any woman found to be 'impure' on her wedding night is severely punished, sometimes even exiled or executed. It depends how many women Mizuho has at the time."

Oh, Martel. His worst-case scenario was looking increasingly likely. Zelos blinked again, stunned. "So...wait. Are you saying it's okay for your _men_ to sleep around, but not your _women_?"

She nodded faintly, her eyes still downcast. "A woman's sexual purity can be proved. A man's cannot."

For a moment, Zelos gaped at her. A culture still existed that held to the ridiculous notion of 'women's sexual purity'? Never mind that it _wasn't _provable; he'd heard the stories about virgins no longer having their 'proof' intact while women who were no longer 'pure' still had theirs. And then to not hold their men to the same standard they held their women, just because women's bodies possessed an extra membrane men's didn't? Could anything _be_ more hypocritical? "_Seriously_?"

"Mm hmm," she murmured.

_Seriously_. That was insane! "_Damn_. Isn't that, y'know, a little _harsh_?"

Sheena bit her lip, but finally she glanced at him again -- extremely briefly, and her eyes were sad, maybe even worried, but at least it was a look. "Maybe, but that's what they decided, and Mizuho has followed it pretty strictly since then."

Zelos snorted and rolled his eyes. That was incredible. And ridiculous. And _stupid_. The lesson _he _would've taken from that scenario was that a person shouldn't marry someone they didn't love, especially when they loved someone else -- and that if the person they _did_ love wasn't satisfying their physical needs, then they needed to discuss that openly and honestly with them. But no, Mizuho took it the other way and forbade _all_ sex for unmarried couples. "And yet again, the indiscretions of a few thoughtless, selfish, crazy people have to ruin it for everyone else," he muttered, trying to keep the bitterness and disgust from his voice, but judging from how Sheena's body tensed, he suspected it bled through anyway.

"Yeah," she whispered.

But none of that was _her_ fault, and he already knew nothing he said would change five generations' worth of overly strict rules, and so he wouldn't harp on it and force Sheena to defend her people. It wouldn't do any good or get him anywhere anyway -- in fact, it would probably just make her feel even more uncomfortable with this whole conversation -- and so for now he'd bite his tongue. "So it really is that important to them, even though something like that shouldn't be anyone else's business," he murmured, shaking his head.

Sheena nodded again, her face growing even redder. "Yeah. Especially for me since I'll be Mizuho's next chief. I'm required to be married before that happens, and I'll...." She paused, then cleared her throat. "While it probably wouldn't be a big deal for any other woman, assuming her husband was the only man she'd slept with before they married, it will be for me. I...I'll need to be 'pure' to set an example for the villagers. Everyone will be watching me closely to make sure I don't do anything inappropriate, and even if Grandpa didn't want to punish me, someone else would push the issue and he'd have to." Her voice lowered. "If I wasn't 'pure' when I got married, I'd probably be executed."

Zelos gaped at her -- oh, Martel, she was _serious_ \-- and then released a soft, humorless laugh. "All to prevent people from being murdered by jealous, crazy lovers, they'd kill their own future chief. Yeah, punishing people for being in love and potentially adding even _more_ kids to their population makes _perfect_ sense to me."

"Unfortunately, I'm not in a position to do anything about it; I can't change any rules until I've actually become chief," she said softly, her eyes still downcast. "I'd never be able to talk Grandpa into changing it, either, not without casting suspicion on myself. And I doubt any of the villagers even remember the story behind it anymore; they just see the rule itself and don't question where it came from."

He wanted to scream at the unfairness of that. He wanted to sneak into Mizuho and rewrite the rule book. But mostly he wanted to drag Sheena away from there to somewhere she could live a _normal_ life, not a life she didn't seem entirely comfortable with and where she had to put everything on hold for years before she finally became chief. He'd been there, stuck in a life he didn't want and with restrictive responsibilities weighing him down, and now Sheena had to deal with the same. Her life had been hard enough ever since that Volt incident, and now, just when she'd been freed of that guilt, it was being hijacked by even more overwhelming expectations thanks to her grandfather declaring her to be his successor. And....

Oh, Martel. His worst-case scenario was real: the only way they could ever have sex was if they got married. Sheena wasn't directly saying 'no' to him, and yet she was. He certainly hadn't planned on moving that quickly -- he'd meant it when he'd said he wanted to take this slowly and do it right -- but he'd considered it a given that if their relationship continued, sex would be a natural progression of it. But that wasn't even possible? And he'd thought resisting _touching_ her would be hard! He honestly wasn't sure he could handle this, because oh, was he attracted to her. She had no idea what she did to him, how often he'd had to force himself to quit fantasizing about her, did she? Now, when he'd finally gotten a chance at a real relationship now that his years of self-imposed abstinence were finally over, he wasn't even allowed to take that step with the woman of his dreams? This really _would_ be torture!

_But this isn't her fault_, he reminded himself. Sheena hadn't devised this sexist rule, and her discomfort indicated she wasn't completely happy about it, either. But these were her people and her rules, and even if he tried to seduce her away from Mizuho or convince her they couldn't punish her without facing the Chosen's wrath, she wouldn't bite. Crazy or not, they would never stop being her people, and trying to change her mind would only result in her dumping him for not tolerating her culture or in his being banned from Mizuho. Or, worse, if she _did _succumb to him, she'd be killed when she got married. And since those options weren't acceptable, only two other options remained: either he didn't date her at all, or he agreed to abide by that rule and not pressure Sheena for something she couldn't give him.

Zelos wasn't sure he could make this decision right now. Besides, it was far too early in their relationship to be dealing with this; they hadn't even gone out on a _date_ yet. At this point, he had no idea how serious their relationship would become; why should he be worrying about this_ right_ _now_? Shouldn't he see if their relationship lasted first? Granted, he already knew the odds of _him_ ever becoming her husband were slim to none; it was highly unlikely Sheena would ever consider him in that capacity, and he sure as hell doubted he'd consider _himself_ in that capacity, either, because _him_? Marrying a _ninja chief_ and moving to _Mizuho_? _Seriously_? If Sheena backed down from becoming chief and left, that would be one thing, but otherwise he just couldn't fathom ever seriously considering such a life.

If he accepted 'they' were going nowhere, though, then shouldn't he be ending things with her? But how could he do _that_, either, now that he'd gotten this chance with her? He would spend the rest of his life wondering what could have been had he not left, pouting over something she couldn't control. And one thing he knew, unequivocally, was that he loved her; his heart had been hers for years. How could he live with himself if he ran from her over _this_? He couldn't. Besides, was sex the only reason for dating someone? It was an attractive feature of it, definitely, but calling this off over _that_ didn't sit right with him. He _loved_ her. He wanted to make up to her for hurting her. He wanted to spend time with her. He wanted to kiss her and hug her and make her laugh and smile and have fun with life, and in turn he wanted to experience her beauty and goodness in his life and see if it made a difference or if he really was a hopeless idiot. None of that required sex. He just wanted to _be _with her.

And really, it wasn't like there weren't alternatives to all-out sex...although, granted, he already knew those alternatives would never satisfy him and would probably instead just make the 'no sex' restriction that much more difficult and frustrating to follow. He would always crave more than that, and having only a tiny taste of the cake without being able to enjoy the full slice would probably drive him mad -- assuming he could even stop himself from trying to go further than that, something he wasn't convinced he'd be able to do, not in the heat of the moment. And unfortunately, that meant those 'alternatives' weren't really alternatives at all and, therefore, weren't even worth considering.

But frustrating or not, the bottom line was clear: he didn't want to break this off with her, not over this; he wanted to give 'them' a chance, which meant he just had to accept this. So to that end, Zelos tucked away everything he'd just learned in the back of his mind and told himself he'd think on it later, verify his decision, and figure out how best to handle this. "I know," he said, his voice soft to convey his acceptance of the situation. Thankfully, Sheena finally looked at him again, her eyes wide -- aha, so she _had_ been nervous about his reaction to this, hadn't she? And that realization, more than anything, told him he'd just made the right choice. _Now, to change the subject and relax her further_. "And so...well, I have to ask. Am I even _allowed_ to enter Mizuho?"

For a moment, she just watched him, whispering, "You still...?" so softly that Zelos barely heard it, even with his angel senses, but then she shook her head, her tension dissipating. "Why wouldn't you be?"

_Seriously, Sheena, why __**would**__ I be_? Mizuho was obviously strict about sex, and his Chosen One image had been designed to ooze sexual appeal, thus making him a terrible person in their eyes. But Sheena already knew that, so he wouldn't spell that out for her. Besides, he really did want to stop discussing sex. He shrugged. "Well, I know you guys aren't fond of visitors and only let us in last time because of our journey, so you'll forgive me for not assuming I can just drop by whenever I feel like it."

"Zelos, like it or not, for now you're still the Chosen," she said. "They're not going to turn the _Chosen_ away."

He arched an eyebrow. "You sure about that, babe? I wasn't exactly well-liked there the last few times we visited...."

Sheena snorted. "That's because you insisted on flirting with all our women."

He couldn't help himself. "But they were all giving me such lovely gifts!"

"Whatever," she said, rolling her eyes -- but her smile was back, too. Good. "In any case, yes, they'll let you in. It's not like you've never been there before. They may not necessarily be _happy_ to see you -- I mean, some of those women _are_ happily married, you know, and their husbands weren't pleased to hear the _Chosen_ had been flirting with them -- but they won't restrict you entry because of it. You helped regenerate the world, too, and they're appreciative of that." She looked away shyly, her cheeks growing red again. "B...besides, if anyone gives you a hard time, I'll talk to them."

For a moment, Zelos eyed her, afraid he was misunderstanding her. Hearing her say things like that was still so _strange_. Endearing, encouraging, and exciting, but..._strange_. He was having trouble accepting it was really happening. "So...it's okay if I visit you there sometime?"

Her blush deepened. "Of course it is."

_Oh, thank Martel_. He hadn't misunderstood her. "Do I need an invitation or can I just show up whenever I feel like it?" he asked, giving her a hopeful smile.

She chuckled and looked down shyly. "Both are fine."

And again -- _thank Martel_. If he really wanted to see her, having to wait for an invitation would probably drive him crazy. "Well, I have to be sure, because I still don't think your village wants to see my pretty face more than absolutely necessary...."

"It'll be fine," she assured him, smiling softly. "I'll vouch for you and give them instructions to let you in." Without warning, her smile fell and she bit her lip. "I mean, they'll have to get used to seeing you there more anyway, right?"

Her insistence that yes, he really could visit her there stunned him -- as did her uncertainty that he'd want to. For a moment, Zelos just watched her, a smile toying on his lips and his heart pounding faster. Seeing her like this, all shy and hopeful and speaking normally to him, with no trace of disappointment or anger, was amazing and encouraging...but _man_, was it weird. He was having trouble grasping this was really happening. So much had happened so quickly that keeping up with it all was proving to be a challenge.

Hard to believe or not, though, at least it was all _good_. Dating Sheena, someone who'd not only seen the man he'd always hidden away from everyone but who'd made it clear she _liked _him and _wanted_ to see him, was definitely a good thing, not only because she was _Sheena_, the amazing woman he'd loved for years, but because doing so would prevent him from losing sight of himself -- of his _real _self -- as he was afraid would be too easy to do now that he'd nearly gotten rid of that title. He didn't mind turning away his hunnies, either, not when he had a real chance with her; hell, he'd been looking forward to doing that for years! Watching his behavior was also a good thing -- draining having to constantly remind himself not to say anything stupid and second-guessing everything he did, but still good.

As good as those things were, though, they were also requiring a huge mental adjustment on his part, and even though he'd spent hours last night pondering it all, he still doubted he'd considered every necessary aspect of it yet. There were a lot of new things he still had to adapt his mindset to. Sure, he'd had 'girlfriends' before and knew how he was supposed to act with one, but those had never been serious; they'd always been _The Great Zelos's_ girlfriends, not _his_. Sheena, though, was _his _girlfriend. He was serious about her, and he wanted her to know that. It would take time to become truly comfortable with all of this and to become someone worthy of her affection, and he might not always be able to stop himself from acting stupid or hitting on her, but he would do whatever it took to keep those things under control.

And to that end, he gave her a shy smile of his own. "Yeah, I guess so." After a moment, she mirrored his smile, her uncertainty melting into warmth and happiness, and then they both looked back at the path before them as they continued walking toward the Grand Tethe'alla Bridge.

There was so much more he wanted to ask her and talk to her about...but, he found, to his alarm, his tongue just wasn't cooperating right now. It was silly, he knew, because they'd now proven they were capable of having normal conversations that didn't include her smacking him or storming off on him, but the words just weren't coming...and Zelos suspected he knew why. They would be parting ways soon, and the crazy truth was that he was afraid to do so for fear that once she left, all of this goodness would fall apart and 'they' would revert back to how they'd been before. So, naturally, he should be asking her out on a date to try to keep it going awhile longer, but...why was his gut churning at the thought of actually _doing_ that?

It was stupid. He had time before they reached the bridge, the farthest point he could walk with her, to be asking her out, and judging from how she'd been acting toward him all morning, he doubted she'd say 'no,' but that knowledge wasn't helping. His nerves were holding his tongue captive; he _dreaded_ the possibility of suddenly saying something wrong and wrecking everything, idiot of habit that he was. Instinct wanted him to slip on the mask to make this easier, by letting the far more experienced Chosen sweep her off her feet, but he forcefully held back that idiot, because now that Sheena knew the mask existed, she could probably identify it for what it was -- and if she did, then she'd lose all trust in him. And therein lay his problem: _The Great Zelos_ may have asked out nearly every woman in Tethe'alla before, but _Zelos Wilder_ never had, and especially not a woman he was in love with and who loved him back.

Agh, this whole thing was weird. And awkward. And nerve-wracking. And, honestly, pretty damn scary.

He was so absorbed in thought that it startled him to realize they'd nearly reached the bridge. Part of him was tempted to keep going all the way to Mizuho with her to give himself more time to think, but he really did need to talk to the king, so he couldn't. And next he knew, they were at the bridge, and he _still _hadn't found the perfect, non-Chosen One way to ask her out. But ready or not, he had to do this, because life would be torture for him unless he knew when he'd see her again. He already knew from the past three weeks that he'd miss her terribly, and that was _before_ she'd admitted she loved him. And now, being separated from her would be even worse because all he wanted to do was _be_ with her.

Upon reaching the bridge, he finally, reluctantly, sighed, his footsteps slowing. "Well, as much as I hate to say this, this is as far as I can go. I'd walk you all the way to Mizuho, but I really do need to give the king my report."

"Oh," Sheena said, her eyes widening, but then she smiled shyly, looked down, and absently kicked at a stone. "R...right. Thanks for coming this far."

"Of course!" he said, grinning broadly. "Anything for you." She blushed as she glanced up at him, but she didn't say anything. _Okay, Wilder_, he told himself_. You're out of time, and you can __**not**__ let her leave until you've asked her, so just __**do**__ it. _"So, ah," he began, his grin faltering as he scratched his neck, "when do you think you'll be back in Meltokio?"

She let out a soft, nervous laugh and leaned back against the railing. "Well, I'm scheduled to meet with the king in three days..." she gave him a wry, pointed grin, "...because _someone _decided I wasn't busy enough in Mizuho and convinced the king _I _should be his emissary. Thanks again _so_ much for that, by the way."

Zelos couldn't help smirking. She'd been 'grumbling' about that since he'd admitted last night that he'd made that happen -- but eh, he didn't care. Whether she thought so or not, she was fully qualified for the job, it would help repair the relationship between the king and Mizuho, and...well, okay, so it was selfish, too. "Heh. No problem. I could think of no better candidate for the job. And besides, I wanted to make sure you kept coming to Meltokio so I'd at least occasionally get to see you."

...Oh, wait. He'd said that last part aloud, hadn't he? Heh...whoops. She wasn't supposed to know that. He let out a nervous laugh and rubbed his neck again -- damn nerves, making him say things that made him feel far too vulnerable. He _shouldn't _be feeling this nervous with her -- they'd known each other for _years_! -- but man, did he ever. But thankfully, instead of teasing him, Sheena just blushed and smiled shyly -- proving to him yet again why he desperately wanted this woman in his life, even if it meant sacrificing sex to make that happen. He'd still think that decision over more later, but he was pretty sure he already knew his answer -- and if so, then he'd be sure to tell her that if 'they' survived a few dates. _But those dates will never happen unless you __**ask her out**__, you idiot!_

_Okay, fine. Asking now_. He cleared his throat. "So, uh...would you maybe want to go grab some dinner or something after you finish with the king?"

She bit her lip and watched him, her dark eyes hesitant, uncertain -- but, he wanted to think, hopeful, too. "I guess that depends. Would it be with you or with your evil twin?"

His gut twisted. He wished so much that she didn't have to ask him that, but he understood why she did. She had every right to question how long he could behave like a man deserving of her time; for years, she'd only known the idiotic, untrustworthy, self-destructive fool. The few hours they'd now spent together like this couldn't change that. Hell, he doubted he could _ever_ change that, even if he had a hundred years to try to do so.

But he'd be damned if he didn't _try_. He gave her a wistful smile. "Me. I promise."

For a moment, she eyed him again carefully, but then she smiled shyly and nodded. "Okay. It's a date." She let out a soft, nervous laugh. "Besides, I kinda owe it to you anyway."

...Oh. _That_ was her reasoning? His heart sank. "Hey, don't just agree to it because you think you still owe me something, Sheena, because like I said, you owe me nothing."

Her eyes widened and snapped up to his in alarm. "N...no! Don't worry, I'm not." She smiled shyly. "I'm agreeing because I want to see you again, Zelos."

...Really? "Yeah?" he asked softly.

Sheena nodded, her smile broadening. "Yeah."

Oh, Martel, she really _did_ want to see him again! Zelos smiled, his heart pounding faster at that confirmation -- and at the relief that she'd just accepted a date with him. It certainly wasn't the first time he'd asked her out, even if it kind of was, and now...well, now he was glad she'd never said 'yes' before, because any woman who would go out with The Great Zelos wasn't someone he should be dating anyway. "Then it's a date." Unable to resist, he lightly touched her arm, trailing his fingers over it. Her gaze fell to his chest and her blush deepened...and his eyes narrowed as she let out another soft, nervous laugh. "What?" he asked, his fingers stilling. Her eyes briefly met his, but then she quickly looked down again. Uh oh. What was this about? "What is it?"

"N...nothing." She shook her head faintly but didn't meet his eyes again. "It's nothing."

"...Then why don't I believe you?" When she still didn't answer, Zelos touched her chin, forcing her to look up at him. Something was bothering her, and he knew his damn insecurities: if she didn't tell him, he'd just spend the next three days worrying about it. "Sheena, what?"

She sighed, then released another nervous laugh and looked down again. "Nothing, really. It's just...." Yep, she had _something_ to say; now to get her to _say_ it. He forced himself to wait patiently as her fingers lifted to his chest, trailing over his Cruxis crystal, his hands slipping down to her waist. "It's just...this whole thing is so _weird_, Zelos. You know, being with you like this, talking in these terms, accepting a date with you instead of smacking you for suggesting it, inviting you to Mizuho.... It's just so..._weird_."

His face sank further. He thought he knew what she meant, but he needed to check something first. "Good weird or bad weird?"

"Good weird!" she quickly said, her eyes widening in alarm -- which thankfully eliminated his worst-case scenario. "Definitely good weird. But it's still..._weird_. I mean, I haven't figured out how to act around you yet when you're like this. You're _you_, but you're not the 'you' I'm used to. And I know you've never really been the man I always thought you were, but...I'm so used to you acting one way, saying stupid things and being lewd and making me want to smack you all the time, that it's weird that you're _not_ acting like that. I keep expecting you to revert back to that perverted, narcissistic jerk any second now, and you're just..._not_. I guess my expectations haven't caught up with reality yet." Her brows furrowed as she struggled to express her thoughts. "And it's just...it's strange being with anyone like this. I've never dated anyone before, and I...I'm not sure what I'm doing yet. And then for the person I'm...involved with...to be _you_...." She let out a soft laugh. "I mean, we've known each other so long that shifting gears to something completely different, something I'm not sure how to handle yet, is..._awkward_."

Oh, yes, he knew what she was talking about, because that was exactly how he'd felt ever since Sheena had kissed him and admitted she loved him yesterday, thus changing everything between them. The whole thing _was _weird. He'd woken up to find his long-abandoned dream that Sheena might one day love _him_ had come true, without any scheming or manipulation on his part -- it was incredible, but completely unexpected and _weird_. But even though he knew what she meant and felt the same, his heart still sank further. He could tell: she was uncomfortable with this, and he didn't want her to feel that way.

Zelos met her eyes, his face set. He dreaded offering this, but he needed to in case this was _too _weird for her. "Well, if it would make you more comfortable, I could always go back to _being_ that perverted, narcissistic jerk --"

"No!" Sheena quickly cut him off, her vehemence taking _him_ aback. "No, I like this you, Zelos. A lot." Her eyes fell to his chest again. "I meant everything I said yesterday, and I don't regret where we are now. But I just...it'll take me awhile to get used to thinking about us like this and seeing you in this light and being with you in a...in a romantic sense. Right now it's just too new for my mind to easily accept." Her voice lowered. "And I guess I'm afraid, too, of what will happen if this doesn't work out. I don't...I don't want to lose your friendship if we find this won't work."

"I know," Zelos murmured. Oh, did he know. And honestly, hearing that was not only a weight off his chest -- at least he wasn't the only one struggling to accept the 'newness' and 'strangeness' of this -- but it was a relief to know that, despite the 'weirdness,' Sheena felt comfortable enough with him to share these feelings. Before yesterday, she never would have done that for fear he'd rub it in her face, and the fact that she _did_ trust him enough now to do so sent an amazingly warm, loved feeling through him. On the other hand, though, her concerns had validity. The thought of messing this up and losing her permanently terrified him like nothing ever had before. "We've already stepped beyond friendship and can never completely go back to the way we were before." He placed a finger beneath her chin and tilted her head up to meet his eyes again, needing her to see how serious he was about this. "But I promise you, Sheena, no matter what happens, I'll always be your friend. Even if this whole thing falls apart tomorrow and gets even weirder, I'll always be here for you, and I'll always want you in my life." He smiled faintly. "No amount of weirdness can take that away from us, because I won't let it."

Her face softened. "I know. Same here. And believe me, I'm not saying I don't think we should give this a try because of that, but it _is_ a concern of mine." Her voice lowered and she gave him a shy, awkward look. She was so damn beautiful when she was like this, all cute and sweet and happy and hopeful -- so different from the tough-as-nails fighter and screaming banshee he'd known for years. As much fun as he'd had pushing her buttons, this was infinitely better. "I think I just need more memories of being with you like this, of being with _this_ you, to start outweighing the memories of how we used to be." She gave him another adorably shy smile. "And the truth is, I'm looking forward to making those memories."

_Oh, thank Martel_. She would give this relationship time to develop and see where it took them -- and she was looking forward to it, too! He had to bite back a cheer, because that would be stupid and childish and ruin this serious, honest mood that was helping them make sure they were on the same page. And to that end, _she _needed to know how _he_ felt.

"Yeah, me, too," he whispered, mirroring her shy smile. He would never admit this under normal circumstances, but these circumstances were hardly normal. Besides, if she'd managed to be so honest with him, something that couldn't have been easy for her, then he could, too. "And to be honest...I feel the same. I mean, Martel, Sheena, you've barely hit me since yesterday! Flying bars of soap and wet sponges notwithstanding. This is weird for _me_, too." She chuckled, her gaze briefly dipping downward. "I mean, _you're_ not acting like _you_ right now, either -- or at least not how _I'm_ used to you acting. I keep thinking I should be feeling your forehead to make sure you're not getting sick. And honestly? _I'm_ not even sure how I should be acting with you yet. It's not like I've ever been in a seriousrelationship before this, and the Chosen One always called the shots in the not-serious ones. I keep having to fight back this damn instinct to say stupid things to you, because I don't _want_ to treat you like that anymore."

Her smile broadened. "Well, I think you're doing a good job of it so far."

She had no idea how heartening those words were, did she? How encouragement like that could send his life spinning in a completely different, better direction and make him want to be more than just the Idiot Chosen? "Good, because I really am trying," he said, giving her a brief grin before growing serious again. "It's just hard because...well, I'm so used to acting like the Chosen that actually being myself, especially with someone I've known so long and care so much about, is...weird. _Good_ weird, but still weird."

"I can only imagine," she said, her fingers straying to the loose fastener of his vest. "You've been hiding behind the mask so long that it must be strange to _not_ be hiding behind it."

"Exactly." And again, Zelos was amazed by her acceptance of that, something even _he_ had trouble understanding because of how difficult it was to separate the two warring parts of his personality. He was amazed by _her_. He was reminded again that at this point, sex truly was negligible; right now, he just wanted to revel in her goodness and beauty and leave the rest up to fate. Whatever would be, would be. The way he understood it, she wasn't becoming chief yet anyway, so they should have, what? A few years before she had to find a husband, right? Chief Igaguri had looked healthy enough when Zelos last saw him; he could live a long life yet. And as for everything else she'd said.... "Personally, I'm just glad I don't have to _be_ that man you can't stand anymore because...well, seeing you smile like this is infinitely better than you constantly smacking me." Sheena chuckled and her eyes fell downward shyly, but she didn't respond otherwise. "Like you said, hopefully time will take care of this awkwardness for us." He paused, gently brushing a stray lock of ebony hair behind her ear. "I'm serious about giving this a shot, Sheena."

She watched him a moment, her face softening into a warm, loving, beautiful smile that took his breath away, then nodded. "I know. I can tell. And so am I."

He had to swallow hard past the lump in his throat. "I know. And I promise I'll do my best to prove I deserve the second chance you've given me -- and that I won't suddenly revert back into that idiot you can't stand."

"I know you will," she stated with a humbling amount of certainty.

For a moment, they fell silent, with Sheena leaning back against the railing while Zelos stood before her, his fingers drifting from her rosy cheeks down to her arms, his male pride smirking as she shivered at his touch, radiating a stunning amount of comfort at his close proximity, her hands lightly tracing the edge of his shirt. Heh, so she was tactile too, eh? Yeah, he liked that...maybe a little _too_ much. In fact, if she kept that up, he'd have to tell her that if she wanted him to follow Mizuho's 'no sex' rule, then _she_ couldn't do things that would turn _him_ into a quivering, desire-consumed wreck. Heck, he'd probably have to tell her that anyway just to preserve his sanity.

But not right now. No, right not, he had another irresistible idea. "Well, I know _one_ way to make this whole thing make more sense to us."

Her brown eyes lifted back to his and she arched an eyebrow. "How's that?"

He watched her closely, gauging her reaction, then stepped closer and, when she didn't back away from him, slowly leaned toward her. Her gaze lowered to his mouth as his head neared hers, and she licked her lips, her eyes drifting shut. Needing no further encouragement, Zelos kissed her, lightly brushing his lips over hers before pulling back a little to look at her, but then, seeing her eyes still closed, her face flushed, and her lips parted, and feeling her hands gently grasping his arms, he kissed her again, longer that time. His hands lowered to her waist and he deftly lifted her up to sit on the railing, his lips still on hers, and he moved between her legs, holding her hips firmly so she didn't fall backwards. For a moment, her fingers dug into his arms, holding him to her as she kissed him back, but then one of her hands slid upward to his face, her touch light as she gingerly curled her fingers around the nape of his neck, filling him with warmth, love, and exhilaration. He was careful to keep the kiss slow, sweet, and tender, just lazily moving his lips against hers, but even without deepening it...oh, Martel, this felt so _good_, so _right_. It made his heart race at the sheer beauty of it, of _her_...and yes, it really did help this whole thing make more sense -- and judging from how quickly and thoroughly Sheena had melted into it, she felt the same.

Eventually, the kiss reached its natural conclusion, and Zelos drew away, just enough to see her face and to brush his nose against hers, his heart fluttering. For a moment, Sheena just sat there, her eyes closed, leaning forward to rest her forehead against his, breathing a little quicker, but finally she opened her eyes and gave him another warm smile and soft, shy laugh, her fingertips sliding down to his shoulders. "You are really, _really_ good at that," she murmured.

Heh. Now _that_ was what he liked to hear -- not only that he'd pleased her, but that she'd enjoyed it as much as he had. For a moment, Zelos was tempted to cheer and jump up and down excitedly, but knowing she would smack him for it and regret having expressed her feelings, he forced himself to instead mirror her smile, reveling in the moment of sweetness and honesty. "Way, _way_ too much practice, sweetheart, much of which I could've happily done without." He smirked and arched a knowing eyebrow. "At least now it's proving to be good for something anyway."

Sheena chuckled, her gaze falling back to his lips. "Yeah, I guess so," she whispered, then gave him another kiss, briefer than the last one but still heartwarmingly sweet. A moment later, though, she pulled back and sighed, her smile fading. "Well, as much as I want to spend the rest of the day here with you, I have work to do in Mizuho, and you have a report to deliver to the king."

Oh, right. Damn that 'reality' thing sometimes; the thought of not seeing her again for three days left him wanting to steal her away to some secluded location so they could forget about the world. But unfortunately, that wasn't an option. And besides, he really did need to think about everything he'd now learned from her -- alone. With a low sigh and a soft, "Yeah, I know," Zelos released her waist and took a step backward, releasing her. "So I'll see you in a few days then?"

A rosy blush graced her cheeks again as she jumped off the railing. "Yeah. You can count on it." She hesitated, biting her lip as she watched him, but then she hopped up on her toes, gave him another quick kiss, and pulled away. With another happy, beautiful smile, she turned and headed out across the bridge.

Zelos leaned back against the railing, smiling and waving as she cast one last look back at him, and then he folded his arms to his chest and watched her until she'd vanished into the distance. Only then did he succumb to the sigh he'd been restraining for hours, his smile fading as the insecurity he'd been forcing himself to ignore all morning replaced the warmth and love he'd felt with her. "Of course," he murmured to himself, "that assumes you don't come to your senses in the meantime and do what you _should_ be doing by dumping my sorry ass, Sheena."

It was a fear he suspected would stay with him for a long time, maybe even as long as she could put up with him. The truth was, he _didn't_ deserve her or the second chance she'd given him. He was a messed up man who messed up everything he touched; experience had proven that. One day she would realize just how messed up he was and would abandon him -- assuming he didn't succumb to habit and mess everything up again first. Either way, he'd lose her. He'd messed up with her before; he'd do it again. He knew that, especially after the devastating truth had hit him last night as he'd tried to sleep: he had hurt her by pushing her away all those years ago, far worse than he'd ever imagined. "_You have no idea how much it hurt to lose your friendship back then_," she'd said yesterday, accompanied by a flash of pain and sadness in her eyes that had nearly crushed his heart. He'd pushed that realization aside at the time so he could revel in her admission of love, but last night nothing remained to prevent that guilt from resurfacing.

And oh, had it done so. For six years, his goal had been to make her hate him so she wouldn't become attached to him and be hurt because of who he was. Hatred, after all, was better than pain. Sure, he'd figured it would hurt her some, but he'd expected it to be minimal. And he'd thought he'd succeeded, too, that his acting stupid and teasing her had made her hate him and prevented her from caring about an idiot like him. But that look in her eyes yesterday...oh, Martel, he'd failed. He'd misinterpreted all of her violent reactions to him. He hadn't made her _hate_ him; all he'd done was _hurt_ her -- and not just a light scrape, but a vicious knife to the gut. "_I never hated you, Zelos_," she'd said. "_I may have wanted to at times, but even then I never did._" His attempt to push her away had backfired. He'd thought it would _spare_ her from such pain, but it had _caused_ it. He'd been wrong all that time.

That revelation had opened his eyes and shed new light on everything that had happened between them the past six years. It was devastating...and humbling. He'd hurt her so badly for so long without even realizing it...without even identifying her pain as _pain_. He'd wanted to believe it was hatred, so he had. He'd blinded himself to the truth. After that, how could he trust himself to do things right with her? The thought of messing up with her, yet again, left him scared stiff.

And yet, despite it all, Sheena was giving him this second chance anyway. It was the gift he'd always wanted, a real chance with her...but now that he'd gotten it, what was he supposed to _do_ with it? How was he supposed to make it work or keep it going? He _should_ be giving this gift back; he should be breaking this off with her for good, because an amazing, understanding, forgiving woman like her deserved so much better than an idiotic train wreck like him. He couldn't do that, though, not without causing her even more pain -- and one thing he knew was that he refused to hurt her like that again. He _refused_. In fact, all he could do now, he suspected, was wait until she came to her senses about him and did what he couldn't by breaking it off with him.

But until that day came, he would do everything he could to not only enjoy it -- because having someone as amazing as her who loved _him_ really _was_ something he'd always wanted -- but also to be extremely careful to behave and not piss her off. This really was his last chance, and he wouldn't waste it. Sex be damned; he wanted to _be_ with her and make amends for hurting her by making her smile and laugh. He wanted to make sure she never regretted giving him this incredible, unwarranted chance. He wanted to show her that even if she couldn't trust his words yet, she could still trust _him_.

Failure may be inevitable, but he _wanted_ to do this right. He _wanted_ this relationship to last. He _wanted _her to trust him and feel comfortable with him. He _wanted _to be the best damn boyfriend a woman could ask for. He didn't want to give her any reason to leave him; he didn't want to expect things from her she couldn't give him. He would keep the 'habitual idiot' in check; he would work to become that better man he'd always wanted to be, someone worthy of her trust and respect. Any trust she had for him was still new and fragile, something a single careless word could shatter, and he _would not_ let her down. Controlling the idiot would be hard, but he _would_ do it. He knew he would occasionally slip and his words would lead to misunderstandings and miscommunications, because that was a curse of being human, but hopefully his actions would speak louder than those words. He would make a point to be the gentleman he'd always known how to be but had never had a reason to act like before. He would show her he loved her and hope she got the message.

So much had changed so quickly, and like Sheena, he realized he, too, needed time to process it all. He needed to figure out how to be himself, to actually live in his own skin, not the Chosen's, when he was with others. And he would. He'd already started with her, and while it was still awkward, he was slowly getting used to it, especially when he saw how it resulted in a smile or a laugh or a sparkle of happiness in her eyes. No more powerful positive reinforcement existed than that. It amazed and encouraged him. Now he just needed to keep it up and not make any more stupid mistakes that cost him everything.

And despite his lingering guilt, fears, and insecurities, Zelos couldn't resist smiling as he pushed himself away from the railing and began heading back to Meltokio, hopeful that maybe he really _could_ pull this off. It might work, it might not, but he'd be damned if he didn't try, for both of their sakes.

***

(Concluded in Part 2: The Date)


	2. The Date

(For disclaimer and author/story/series notes, see Part 1.)

***

**Part 2: The Date**

Women were notoriously late for dates; Zelos had learned that years ago. They spent hours preening, changing clothes, applying makeup, and fixing their hair, and by the time they were satisfied, he'd been left waiting half an hour in their living room, usually with their parents, who were oh so eager to impress him in hopes he'd marry their daughter. Once or twice, with overly vain women, he'd had to wait over an hour for them (making him question why he bothered with the Chosen act at all when it just wasted time he _could_ have spent working to remove his title), and in the process they'd completely wrecked his plans.

Three hours late waiting for Sheena to show up, though, was by far his worst wait ever.

He'd been to numerous briefings with the king, and they never lasted more than three hours since the king was too busy to spend all day in one meeting. Two days ago, he'd checked the timing of Sheena's meeting so he could make appropriate dinner reservations, so he knew it started at noon. By three o'clock, when he'd expected her, he was ready to go. By three-thirty, he'd started getting worried. By four, all the fears and insecurities he'd been ignoring for days, determined as he was to let whatever happened happen, had returned. By four-thirty, when he'd begun pacing, trying to convince himself he was overreacting, Sebastian had gone to the castle to see what was happening. Fifteen minutes later he'd returned and reported that yes, the king was still meeting with his emissary.

That had calmed him for awhile. Five o'clock passed, and he'd started pondering what would happen if their meeting lasted _too_ long -- and he'd started devising ways to subtly hurt the king if he ended up being responsible for postponing this date. By five-thirty he'd begun considering date alternatives. Fifteen minutes after that, he'd sent a maid to the restaurant to cancel their reservations and had Sebastian start working on his backup plan, and by six all of his nerves and insecurities had kicked back up again, twisting his stomach into knots at the thought that she'd forgotten or called it off. And now...now it was after six and there was still no sign of her, thus placing him back in the position of wondering if she'd come to her senses and decided not to bother with him.

It made sense why she'd bail; for too long, he'd done nothing to make her like, respect, or trust him, and now chances were she'd realized this was tooweird for her and had walked away. But still, he knew Sheena. While she might occasionally run, she at least let someone _know_ she was running; if she'd changed her mind, she would've told him that. But her meeting had to be done by _now_, right? So what if she really was having second thoughts? What if she was wandering around town right now, trying to determine the best way to break up with him? What if she didn't show up at all? He probably should have dropped by Mizuho to verify 'they' had really happened, but not wanting to come across as overly eager -- or find she hadn't informed her people to let him in, thus ending his visit in disembowelment -- he hadn't. But if the king really was responsible for this, if he was holding her hostage to punish Mizuho for something (which he wouldn't put it past Minister Giannovio to convince the king to do), well, king or not, Zelos _would_ make sure he paid for it, dearly.

He shouldn't be so worked up about this. He _shouldn't_ be. He _knew_ that. He'd had plenty of dates cancel on him -- usually accompanied by much groveling for a rain check so his date could still get her chance to 'win' his heart. In fact, while those cancellations had initially disappointed him because it meant he couldn't forget his crappy life for awhile while entertaining a beautiful woman, ultimately it was always a relief to not have to carefully play the part the lady expected from him, either. But none of those dates had been with _Sheena_, someone he _wanted _to go out with. He'd never looked forward to a date this much before, and now the thought that it might not happen, and especially _why_, was turning him into a nervous wreck.

But worrying wasn't getting him anywhere, and so whenever he started panicking, he repeated his special, magic words -- "_Whatever will be, will be_" -- and reminded himself that if she was dumping him, he deserved it, and that he had at least _some_ good memories of her now to treasure. If she wasn't coming, she wasn't coming. But he wouldn't give up waiting (and pacing, and probably driving Sebastian crazy) until 'today' became 'tomorrow' and no chance remained. He couldn't do anything else.

At quarter after six, when Zelos was starting to wonder if he should be checking around Meltokio to make sure she hadn't been hurt or kidnapped by muggers, a soft, tentative knock came from the front door. Sebastian immediately arrived to answer it, but he smiled knowingly, almost smugly, when he saw Zelos already at the door. "_You_," Zelos said, pointing sharply at him. "Not a _word_."

"Of course not, sir." And with that, Sebastian turned and, still smirking, headed back into the kitchen. Zelos glared at him as he left, but then he breathed in deeply, steeling his nerves, and opened the door.

And there, finally, she was. Despite his nervousness, he beamed her a broad, excited smile...but it quickly faltered as he saw her face. She was chewing on her thumbnail, her brows furrowed, clearly upset and distracted, her gaze focused absently on the doorframe. Uh oh. _That_ didn't look good. Maybe she really _had_ had second thoughts about this. "Hi," he ventured.

Sheena jumped a little, her eyes snapping up to his as if she hadn't even realized the door had opened -- _not good, not good, not good_ \-- but then she lowered her hand and gave him a weak smile. "Hi."

Unable to resist -- and needing to see if his worst-case scenario had any validity -- Zelos touched her arm, urging her inside. Oh, good, at least she didn't flinch or pull away from him. "Come on in."

Sheena nodded, her smile vanishing as he ushered her inside. She looked around a moment while he closed the door, her brows furrowed, then sighed and turned to him. "Zelos, I am _so_ sorry I'm so late."

While the part of him that had spent the afternoon panicking appreciated the apology, the rest of him was just glad she was here. He was actually more concerned about how upset she was. He gently grasped her arms, rubbing his thumbs over them. "Hey, sweetheart, are you all right?"

"I'm fi--" Her eyes darted at him, but instead of finishing that thought, she sighed in clear exasperation. "The king was late, and then the discussion kept going on and on, and then he took forever deciding what to do, and I _still_ have to go back tomorrow in case he changes his mind, and--"

Her voice abruptly cut off, and she pursed her lips and shook her head, looking away from him. Zelos's eyes narrowed further; as relieved as he was that she wasn't breaking up with him...what was the king doing? He grasped her arms tighter and stepped closer to her. "Sheena, what's going on?"

She released a low, weary sigh, watching him a moment, but then smiled wistfully. "I'm sorry, Zelos, but I really don't want to talk about it. Maybe later, but not right now. Please?"

Zelos blinked several times, his curiosity transforming into concern. While he understood her need to avoid disturbing subjects, because he was guilty of having done the same himself, what was the king _doing_? And whatever it was, was not talking about it really a good idea? Wouldn't it just keep bothering her? But since he really had done the same before, he'd respect that, at least for now. "Of course. If you want to talk later, the offer will still be open."

Her smile softened into something a little more sincere. "Thanks." Sheena watched him a moment, but then her smile fell and her head sank downward. "Listen, Zelos, I really am sorry about this--"

"Love, relax, it's no big deal," he interrupted, smiling reassuringly -- because whether she was apologizing for not telling him or for how late she was, it truly wasn't necessary. This wasn't intentional, she wasn't dumping him, and that was that. "It's not your fault. You're here now, and that's all that matters."

Her eyes widened as if his refusal to give her a guilt trip over this had derailed her, but then she looked down at his chest and smiled sadly. "I'm sure I ruined your plans, though. I'd understand if you wanted to wait until another day--"

"You're _kidding_,right?" Zelos cut her off, grinning as she looked up at him in obvious surprise. "Yeah, okay, so I had to cancel our dinner reservations, but that doesn't mean it's too late to do anything." He motioned at the window. "I mean, seriously -- the sun is still out!"

"Barely," Sheena whispered, glancing out the window.

His heart skipped a beat at her disappointment. So she'dbeen looking forward to this too, eh? He smirked. "Well, in my experience, the best things happen at night, so I hope you weren't expecting _that_ to deter me."

As expected, Sheena blushed and glanced down again, a smile toying on her lips again. "I should've figured as much." A moment later, she bit her lip and eyed him again. "So if our original plans were ruined, what are you thinking?"

_Oh, Sheena. Sometimes you make it so very easy to hit on you._ He knew it wasn't intentional, but man, sometimes the temptation was just too hard to resist. His smirk broadened into a wicked grin and he waggled his eyebrows. "Well, I _was_ thinking we could stay here and have some _fun_...."

Sheena rolled her eyes. "I should've known _that_ would be your backup plan."

...Yep, exactly what he'd expected, and seeing her smile broaden made his 'idiot behavior' worthwhile. Choosing to ignore her words, he went on, "...But _then_ I dismissed that option and opted for something else that's fun but probably not _quite_ as fun..." ...and there was the expected mock-glare and arched eyebrow... "...something that now seems even more appropriate considering how tightly wound you are."

Her eyes narrowed and her smile faded. "What are you scheming now, Zelos?"

...Heh. He'd heard that before, and he knew he'd hear it again. And really, it didn't bother him. Sheena wasn't saying she didn't trust him; she was just wary because they both knew he thought differently from her and she wanted to know what he had in mind before she approved of it. Leaving decisions up to someone who thought so differently wasn't comfortable -- letting act-first-and-think-later Lloyd call all the shots during their journey had gone against Zelos's very nature of careful scheming -- but she hadn't dismissed it yet, either. If she really didn't trust him, she wouldn't hesitate to say 'no'; she'd never been afraid to voice such opinions before. In fact, the fact that she wasn't a cowering, fragile, pushover was one of a hundred reasons why he'd fallen so hard for her.

"Don't worry, it's nothing bad," he said. "You won't mind this. Honest."

Her eyes narrowed further, but she wasn't objecting yet, either. And the thing was, since he'd spent years figuring out what made her uncomfortable, albeit to_ make_ her uncomfortable, he'd also figured out what _did _make her comfortable, and he'd never make a decision like this without taking her preferences into consideration. She had nothing to worry about, and Zelos wanted her to know that.

"Does it involve leaving Meltokio?" Sheena asked.

He grinned broadly. "You bet it does, babe."

She eyed him another moment, but finally her face softened. "Good, because right now I just want to get out of here."

Huh. Considering her current mood, dining out in Meltokio probably wouldn't have impressed her. He'd have to remember that. "Your wish is my command, my lady." He playfully bowed his head to her, then glanced back at the kitchen door. "Hey, Sebastian?"

The door immediately swung open and Sebastian stepped inside. "Here you go, sir," he said, handing Zelos a wicker basket before smiling and bowing to Sheena. "Ah, Miss Sheena. Delightful to see you again."

Sheena returned his smile. "You too, Sebastian."

Zelos grinned. "Thanks, Sebastian." Sebastian bowed his head and then headed back to the kitchen.

Once he was gone, Sheena's gaze fell to the basket, her eyes narrowing. "A...picnic?"

"Hey, you haven't eaten anything yet, have you?" he asked, and unsurprisingly, she shook his head. So now the king was starving his emissaries during six-hour meetings? Couldn't he have at least given her an apple? Or maybe some bread or cheese? Zelos frowned and shook his head, disgusted. "Of course not; the king usually doesn't feed his emissaries, cheapskate that he is. So...you hungry?" She let out a soft laugh and nodded. "Yeah, me too. I had Sebastian throw some stuff together, so...sound okay?"

Being the recipient of that warm, beautiful smile was, by far, the current highlight of his day. "Of course it does. Sounds good, actually."

He grinned. "Great! Then let's get outta here."

Sheena dropped off her bag in 'her' room -- _Woo hoo, she's staying overnight again! _Zelos silently cheered -- and then they snuck out the back way of his mansion and headed out of Meltokio. Once they'd cleared the city limits, Zelos led her to the north and west, to a low spot amidst the mountains that required only mild hiking. It took half an hour to reach his destination, with Sheena repeatedly asking where they were going, to which he always assured her it was worth the trek, and thankfully, she didn't argue, other than some playful grumbling about how he was exhausting her before the date even began.

Entering a forest of deciduous trees, they followed a barely discernable but thankfully debris-free dirt path (_oh, good, looks like only a handful of people have discovered this place since I was last here_, he thought with a pleased smile) to the west, the land rising beneath their feet at a low incline. After a few minutes, they reached a stream that wound its way down from the mountains, cutting through the forest to the north and west, and Zelos led them along it for a short ways, mentally checking off the landmarks on the way -- the mossy boulder on the opposite side of the stream, the giant, decaying tree stump off to their right, the 'end' of the path as it reached the remains of a fallen wooden bridge still partially crossing the water. Identifying the final landmark a short ways ahead of them, a fallen tree trunk that served as the 'new' bridge over the stream, Zelos grabbed her hand and carefully led her across it, and then there was the start of the path again, continuing to the west, parting ways with the stream. A few minutes later, he could hear the ocean crashing in the distance, growing louder with every step they took...and then, finally, there they were, stepping into a small but grassy clearing amongst the trees that was only a short distance from a low bluff that overlooked the rippling, sparkling ocean.

"Aaaaaand here we are," he announced.

He couldn't help grinning as his companion stopped beside him and looked around, a soft smile appearing on her lips. "Wow, Zelos, I'm impressed," she said. "I was starting to question your definition of 'perfect spot' considering how long it took us to get here, but this really is beautiful."

He mentally patted himself on the back. Good. She liked it. "Heh. Isn't it, though?" While he'd never been an outdoorsy person himself, preferring cities with lots of people and things to do, traveling with the gang had instilled in him a greater appreciation of nature, and he'd especially realized how much joy sights like this could bring people like Sheena. And really, while he liked this spot, too, his main reason for choosing it was because he'd known she'd like it and it would help her relax. Being from Mizuho, a village in tune with nature, he would've been shocked if she _hadn't_ liked it.

Sheena turned to him, her smile beautifully sincere, and arched a curious eyebrow. "I didn't take you for the kind to care about a spot like this."

Zelos shrugged, setting the basket on the ground. "Eh, even I have my moments, I guess."

"I guess so." Sheena dropped the blanket she was carrying and looked around again. "So how did you, Mr. Fancy, Luxurious, Big-City Dweller, even find a place like this?"

Darn. And here he'd been hoping she wouldn't ask him that. He gave her a sheepish smile as she looked back at him curiously. "If I tell you, do you promise not to kill me?"

Her eyes narrowed, but she was still smiling, too -- well, actually more _smirking_ than _smiling_, he noted. "Something tells me I should say 'no' if you have to ask me that instead of just answering the question, but since any murderous feelings I have are still directed at the king and not you...okay? I think?"

She was feeling _murderous_ toward the king? Huh. And again, he _really _wanted to know what had happened during that meeting. But not yet. Maybe after they ate. "I'll take my chances," he said, shooting her another grin, but then he sighed and looked away. "A few years ago, one of my hunnies brought me here. The date was horrible, and I have awful memories of trying to keep her from getting in my pants," _every three seconds_, he silently added, _which led me to create to that 'manhandling' rule in the first place_, "but...well, this place is too gorgeous to waste on memories like those, so I thought maybe we could make some new, good ones now to replace them." He quirked an uncertain smile. "Still feeling un-murderous toward me?"

Sheena chuckled and met his eyes again, the warmth he saw there making his heart skip a beat. "Don't worry, I'm not upset. In fact, I'm actually touched you _did_ think to bring me here."

...Really? Well, well. Wasn't _that _a pleasant surprise? "Yeah?"

"Yeah." Damn, that smile was beautiful. His heart swelled as her eyes fell downward shyly, and it took all his restraint not to grab her and kiss her senseless. He _coveted_ that smile, especially when he knew he was the cause of it. Oh, was he glad he'd found a way to lure it out of her like this. Well, technically _he_ hadn't found the way; Sheena herself had by convincing him to open up to her that night at the party and by opening her heart to him in return, without either of them meaning to do so. For a moment, Zelos just watched her, mesmerized by her beauty and smiling softly in return, but the moment she noticed him watching her, her blush returned and she lightly smacked his arm. "Quit staring at me."

Oh, was her embarrassment adorable -- honestly, he hadn't even realized he _had_ been staring -- but he averted his eyes anyway and squatted down by the basket. Time to get their picnic started. Fortunately, since it was the middle of summer, they still had two hours of daylight left, but they couldn't waste it, either, or they'd be hiking back to Meltokio in the dark. Grabbing the blanket she'd dropped, he started unfolding it. "Sorry, sweetheart, but it's hard _not _to stare at you sometimes." He gave her a crafty grin. "But if it really makes you that uncomfortable, I'll try to save that for when you're not looking."

Sheena rolled her eyes, and Zelos had to bite his tongue to keep from laughing again as her lips twitched, indicating she was trying notto smile. "Gee, _thanks_."

"Welcome!" Locating one end of the blanket, he stood up again and held it out to her. "Here, help me spread this thing out so we can eat. I'm _starving_!"

"Hey, _you're_ the one who wanted to go hiking for half an hour first, even though you were whining about how hungry you were back in Meltokio already!" she said, doing as he'd asked.

He arched an eyebrow as they arranged the blanket. "But it was worth it, wasn't it?"

Her face softened as she eyed the area again. "Yeah, it was."

"Quit _whining_, then." Zelos grinned cheekily. "If you're not careful, you'll start sounding like me pretty soon!"

Sheena's brows furrowed in something resembling irritation, only her smile completely betrayed her. "I'm going to ignore that for fear of wrecking the peace and beauty of this place by beating you up."

Heh. So the violent tendencies still lingered within her, despite the shyness and sweetness he'd seen so much of lately. Good. As painful as it usually was for him, he just loved seeing her life and fire displayed like that. "Probably a good idea," he said, his grin broadening.

She rolled her eyes again but didn't respond to that, and they fell silent while setting up their picnic site. Once the blanket was stretched out across the grass, she helped him pull out containers and determine what each held -- and even he had to admit that the assortment of foods Sebastian had put together for them so quickly was impressive. They then grabbed some plates and started divvying up the food; thankfully, Sebastian had also given them plenty of everything so they didn't have to argue over sandwiches or salads. He'd really have to thank Sebastian when they got back.

Finally, once settled, Zelos stretched out on his side, while Sheena folded her legs beneath her, and they began eating. For several minutes they ate in silence, too hungry to talk other than to ask the other to pass a container, just enjoying the sparkling ocean in the distance, the clear blue sky above the branches of the trees, the gentle breeze rustling the leaves, and the soft sounds of chirping birds. The sun was sinking closer to the horizon, but the night was looking to be gorgeous. Good food, perfect temperature, gorgeous location, the most beautiful, voluptuous woman he'd ever met as his date...he couldn't think of anywhere else he'd rather be at that moment.

"Okay, I have to admit it: Sebastian is a really good cook," Sheena finally said between bites of potato salad. "For simple picnic foods, somehow he...he...." Her face wrinkled uncertainly.

"Makes it taste far better than it should?" Zelos said, popping the last of his chicken salad sandwich in his mouth.

She pointed at him with her fork. "Yeah, that. It reminds me of the stuff Regal used to make us. Genis, too, but especially Regal."

"I've never figured out his trick myself, but yeah, I know," Zelos said, grabbing his cup of water and draining it to wash down the sandwich. "He's probably just using higher quality ingredients, like Regal did. That _was_ Regal's world before his little stint in prison, you know."

Sheena arched a teasing eyebrow. "Yeah, well, _you _always used 'higher quality' ingredients than the rest of us, too, but I don't remember _your_ cooking tasting like this!"

His eyebrows flew upward and he pointed at her. "Hey, my stuff was alwaysedible. Maybe not gourmet cuisine, but c'mon, I always had _Sebastian _cooking for me! Do you reallythink I had much incentive to learn anything beyond the basics before our journey? I'd only ever cooked before that when he was on vacation and I was craving _hot _food, not the cold stuff the church always overanalyzed for poison! All things considered, I think I did a pretty good job picking up those skills, if I do say so myself."

"Yeah, I'll give you that," she admitted, tilting her head. "But now that you know the basics, you could probably pick up some pointers from him."

"True, true. And maybe now that I have a _girlfriend_ I can try to impress with my manly cooking skills, I'll think about doing that, because he really does have some snazzy cooking tricks." She blushed and chuckled -- but, surprisingly, she didn't argue that (which, he supposed, she could have legitimately done after a few of the barely-edible things he'd produced at times). "Then again, Sebastian had _better_ know a few snazzy cooking tricks. I certainly pay him enough to cook me meals that actually taste good!"

"Yeah, I bet you do," she said, taking another bite of her sandwich. She chewed it thoughtfully a moment before arching an eyebrow at him. "What about once you're not the Chosen? Do you think he'll stick around?"

"Man, I hope so." Honestly, the thought of Sebastian not staying was depressing, not just because Zelos suspected he'd turn into a slob (although he wasn't nearly as bad as Lloyd...now _there_ was a guy who needed someone picking up after him 24/7), but because that mansion would be downright empty and lonely without him. He wouldn't have anyone to go to for advice or help or _anything_. "He's practically family. I just don't know how long my fortune will hold out without the Church paying me regular tributes, a.k.a. bribes so I'd either die and/or reproduce for them to preserve my bloodline, so I can keep paying him like that, though. Hopefully awhile, but I won't know that until I figure out how much I've got." He didn't think he'd have any problems, because while he had no qualms about spending money, he never bought the overly showy, expensive, ugly trinkets other noblemen always wasted money on trying to impress their neighbors, but he made a mental note to check his financial records anyway and determine where he stood. He didn't want to accidentally find himself broke one day, either, because then he _would_ have to let Sebastian go. And right now, when he'd probably be needing regular dating advice, was definitely not the time to lose his primary, trusted touchstone with regular, working class people.

Sheena snorted as she set down her plate, grabbed the water jar, and poured herself a cup. "You just don't want to clean up after yourself. Or get a legitimate job to pay him like a _normal_ person would."

He mock-gaped at her and handed her his glass as she held up the jar, asking him if he wanted more. "Wait, you mean flirting with women for gifts _isn't_ an occupation _normal_ people have?"

She abruptly stopped pouring and narrowed her eyes at him. "You'd better _not_ be doing that anymore."

And there, again, was her jealous streak. He knew he shouldn't feel so smug at seeing it again, but oh, was he ever. "Hey, I will have you know I quit doing that four days ago. Not a single instance of flirting since then." He smirked. "Besides you, of course."

For a moment, Sheena eyed him warily, but then she grinned and finished pouring his water. "Good boy."

_'Good boy'? __**Seriously**__, love? What's next, a pat on the head and a biscuit to encourage good behavior? _...And unfortunately, that was ridiculously accurate. He'd given up hitting on other women because she'd asked him to; he was doing whatever he could to please her so he could see her smile again; and if she were to toss a stick and ask him to fetch it for her, he'd be back with it in a heartbeat. But he'd never tell _her_ that or she'd never stop throwing sticks for him. Although, granted, while his _hunnies_ might have taken advantage of him like that, he just couldn't see _Sheena _doing that. Despite that, he still muttered, "Slave driver," and then reached out to take back the glass she was handing him.

She quickly pulled the glass back, her eyebrows rising and her lips curling upward. "What was that?"

"Nooothiiiiing," Zelos sing-songed, then snatched his glass back the second it was within reach. He lifted it and said, "Thanks," to which she smiled and nodded, and then he took a drink and set it down on a container cover so it wouldn't tip. Finished eating, he rolled onto his back so his head was resting near her legs. "I do think I'm going into withdrawal from flirting with beautiful women, though." He grinned, waggled his eyebrows, and poked her leg. "Guess I'll just have to make up for it with you, eh?"

Sheena's eyes narrowed as she leaned closer, smirking. "Oh, you think so, eh?"

"Yup! Let's see here...." Locating the most over-the-top line he could think of, one he would _never_ actually use with a woman he liked, he puffed up his chest and lowered his voice. "_'Hey, hunny, see how amorous the ocean is tonight? Can't you hear its love song, crying out for all the world's lovers to join it in ecstasy? How 'bout you and me go down to the beach and make some waves of our own, eh?'_"

For a moment, Sheena gaped at him as he grinned seductively, but then she snorted, dipped her finger into her potato salad, and, with a wicked grin, painted a line on his forehead just above his eyebrows. "_That_ is what you get for such a pathetic attempt to hit on me. _And_ for calling me 'hunny,' joke or not."

"Hey, hey, hey!" Zelos said, batting her hand away. "Watch the headband! You have no idea how hard that thing is to clean, do you?"

She broke out laughing, the beautiful, happy sound tugging at his heart. "You are such an idiot."

He closed his eyes and swung a dramatic arm across his chest, summoning his best _'Be still, my aching heart!'_ routine. "Alas, my poor face, slayed by yon fair maiden wielding that most dangerous of all weapons, potato salad!" His eyes popped open and he gave her a pointed, pouting look. "And here I was planning on giving you such a nice present as incentive, too!"

Aha, _that _got her attention. "Oh, you _were_, were you?" she asked.

He pointed sharply at her. "Yeah, but you won't be getting it anytime soon unless you hand me a napkin so I can attempt to salvage the pretty perfection that is my face!"

"Fine, fine," Sheena replied with a showy sigh as she grabbed a clean napkin. To Zelos's surprise and pleasure, though, instead of handing it to him, she actually wiped off his forehead herself, her fingers lightly trailing over his skin, the sheer _fondness_ in her dark eyes sending a thrill of excitement through him that made his stomach twist in knots. And suddenly, he desperately wanted to kiss her again...only that was currently impossible considering his position. Damn. And lying down like this had seemed like such a good idea at the time.... "There, all clean," she announced with a grin, tossing the napkin aside.

He smiled softly. Yet again, Sheena was proving herself capable of surprising him...and he loved it. "Thanks," he murmured, then smirked. "My forehead -- and the rest of my pretty face -- appreciates it."

She rolled her eyes, but then, furthering his amazement, had the gall to smile sweetly and _bat her eyelashes _at him. "Now about this present...?"

For a moment, he just eyed her, biting back a laugh at her curious, eager expression, but then he grabbed a container he'd snagged earlier, held it up, and grinned. "Knock yourself out, sweetheart."

"It's a _container_," Sheena deadpanned, arching an unimpressed eyebrow. "Wow, that was _really _worth cleaning off your forehead for, wasn't it?"

Zelos rolled his eyes and pulled his hand away as she reached for it. "Okay, just for that, I'm running back to Meltokio to get you some edible body paints, since you obviously have a _thing_ for finger painting me." Oh, wait. He cocked his head, pretending to consider that. "Actually, I like that idea _far_ better than my original one. I mean, I've _always_ dreamed of being a canvas for the next Sheena masterpiece...."

Heh, she hadn't expected _that, _judging from her brief, albeit shocked, expression, but when she leaned closer, glaring at him, she was grinning again, too. "I. Di. Ot," she said, punctuating each syllable with a poke to his forehead. "Have I mentioned that yet?"

He grinned proudly. "Once or twice now, yeah." She snorted and shook her head, but then he cocked his head again as a look of sincere puzzlement crossed her face. "What?"

"Did you say _edible body paints_?" she asked.

Heh, so she'd caught that, eh? "Yep!"

Her eyes narrowed. "Somebody actually _makes_ those? _Seriously_?"

Oh, Martel, she'd never heard of _edible body paints_? She really had been sheltered in that backwater little ninja village, hadn't she? "You've never gone into Meltokio's more...specialized...stores, have you?"

"No, definitely not...and now I think I'd be afraid to," she said, her face wrinkling in distaste.

"Every color you could possibly imagine. They're really kinda pretty." He grinned and swept his arms out to indicate the grand scope. "Like a beauuuuutiful rainbow."

Sheena gave him a wry, pointed look. "Why am I not surprised _you_ have been in those stores before?"

Zelos pointed at her. "Hey, I'm not admitting or denying anything!"

"Yeah, well, your answer is pretty obvious," she muttered. "I mean, how else could you know that unless you'd been in one before?"

"Oh, believe me, I could know. You have no idea how many bottles of that stuff my hunnies have given me over the years, thinking it would serve as a hint. Seriously, I could start my own store and have enough to sell for the next ten years." He grinned. "Heh...now _there's_ a legitimate profession for me!"

"Selling _edible body paints_," Sheena stated flatly. "Riiiiiight."

His eyebrows flew upward. "Hey, is that any better or worse than flirting for gifts?"

"Probably not," she said with a light snort, then tilted her head. "So have you tasted any of them?"

Heheheh..._Sheena, Sheena, Sheena_. Zelos waggled his eyebrows. "Curious now, eh?"

She smacked his shoulder and glared at him, her cheeks red. "Just answer the question."

He shrugged. "A few...they're actually pretty good. One tasted fruity, one was chocolaty. They're all sweet, but not unbearably so. Each color is a different flavor."

"Huh," she said. "Interesting."

Okay, stupid or not, he couldn'tpass by this opportunity. "They'd probably taste better on a person, though, and not just on a finger dipped into a bottle, like I did...." His eyes widened and his face lit up. "Hey, I have an ide--!"

"_No_," she soundly cut him off.

His mouth snapped shut, but he quickly countered, "But you didn't even hear my idea!"

"I don't have to. The answer's still _'no.'_"

He pouted. "Aw, but...."

"_No_."

Damn. Not that he'd expected anything different. But still, even though he'd only meant it as a joke, he wouldn't let her off the hook quite yet, either. Had to sell the act, after all. "What good is a girlfriend if I can't even try things like this?" he said, folding his arms to his chest.

Her eyebrows flew upward. "You do _not_ want me answering that question."

...No, he probably didn't, but he waved that off with his hand. "Fine, fine. You're no fun." Sheena glared at him a moment, but then she popped the last of her sandwich in her mouth and shook her head, a smile toying on her lips. And again, Zelos just couldn't resist. "What?" He smirked as he poked her leg. "Change your mind?"

She rolled her eyes, but her smile broadened further. "Not a chance. I was just wondering how we ended up talking about _edible body paints_ anyway. I mean, seriously, Zelos. _Edible body paints_?!"

"I dunno," he said. "Didn't we start out discussing Sebastian's cooking abilities?"

"Oh...right." She sighed and shook her head, but then she beamed him an amused smile. "You can corrupt any conversation into becoming a discussion about sex, can't you?"

"It's one of my many, _many_ talents, babe," he said, grinning slyly and waggling his eyebrows.

"'Talents'..._riiiiight_," she muttered. "'Perversions' is more like it." She set her plate aside and stretched out her legs, leaning back on her hands. "And that ridiculous line you tried before...does something that stupid really work on women?"

He shrugged. "Well, I'm not sure that one would actually _work_, but I'm sure it would make most women blush and giggle and throw themselves at me, overcome with lust by my sheer prettiness and sexiness."

"This coming from Mr. _I've Only Slept With Two Women Ever,_" she said with a snort.

Zelos poked her hip. "Just remember, only you and I know that. To the rest of the world I am Paramour Extraordinaire, World-Renowned Casanova Himself, the Great Zelos Wilder!"

Sheena leaned down so her face was directly above his. "Like I said, I. Di. O--"

Okay, he couldn't resist any longer. She was finally close enough, and so Zelos pushed himself up onto his elbows and planted a quick kiss on her lips, effectively silencing her. It was a little weird, kissing her upside down like that, but it still quelled that particular burning need. And oh, did he like that he could now do that without it resulting in her beating him up.

As expected, the kiss briefly stunned her, and Zelos took advantage of her speechlessness to lift the container and remove the cover. He grinned as she gasped, her eyes widening and her lips forming an adorable little 'O.' "Is that a...?"

"No, babe, I'm just teasing you with a plastic peach," he said, rolling his eyes. "Of _course_ it's real, and of _course_ it's for you! Now hurry up and eat it before I do!"

Sheena bit her lip, looking from the peach to him and back again, clearly touched. "Two in less than a week...I'm dreaming, aren't I?"

"Nope, not a dream," Zelos said with a soft chuckle, finally sitting up and turning to face her. "Just be sure to savor it because it's the last one you'll get for awhile."

She quirked an eyebrow as she reached out for the container. "Why's that?"

"Because peach season's over now and it'll be months before any more are available," he said. "When I sent Sebastian to Sybak to buy more, this was the only one he could get."

Her face fell as she looked at the peach, but then she released the container. "Then I can't take this. You should have it. I don't want to be greedy...."

"Oh, for the love of...." Zelos groaned and gave her a pointed look. "Seriously, Sheena, haven't we had this conversation before? This thing is yours." He picked up the peach, turned it, and, smirking, held it up to her. "See? It even has your name on it. Literally."

Eyes narrowed, Sheena snatched the peach from him and held it up to see it, but then she lifted her other hand to her mouth and burst into beautiful, incredulous laughter. "_Zelos_! Tell me you _didn't_!"

Zelos grinned smugly; oh, good, that was the reaction he'd hoped for. "Oh, but I _did_, my dear." When he'd devised this backup plan earlier, he'd headed into the kitchen and, while instructing Sebastian what to make, had taken one of his daggers and etched her name into the peach, channeling his nervous energy into something semi-constructive. "So as you can _clearly_ see, I'm not allowed to eat this thing since it's reserved for some chick named 'Sheena,' not _'The Great and Sexy Zelos.'_ But oh, hey! _Your_ name is Sheena, right? I guess that means you _can_ eat it!"

"You are unbelievable," she whispered, giving him a soft, sweet smile that made his heart melt. Oh, how he loved this woman and her smile. For years, his primary form of entertainment had been trying to make every woman he met giggle and blush, but now...now he wouldn't even miss that game anymore. No, now he had a new game: _Operation Make Sheena Smile_. And so far it was proving to be infinitely more rewarding than his original one had ever been. She bit her lip and shyly met his eyes. "Thanks."

"Enjoy." Because he knew _he_ sure would; he would enjoy every second of watching her eat it. And oh, was he glad that pointless chatter had helped her relax and momentarily forget about her meeting with the king. He would still push the issue later, but not yet. No, right now he just wanted her to enjoy her peach.

And her very first bite told him she would. Not for the first time, Zelos marveled over the sheer pleasure she received from a treat he'd always taken for granted. Sheena didn't just eat the peach; she forgot about everything else and savored every bite. He felt a little guilty for staring at her after she'd asked him not to, but he just couldn't resist when she looked like _this_. He couldn't help thinking there was a message there, too, about how sometimes the simplest things in life really were the best. Because Martel knew if he had to choose between the most luxurious, expensive material goods and sitting here now, watching Sheena enjoy her peach, he'd choose this moment time and again.

A smile crept onto his lips as he remembered the first time he'd seen this innocent pleasure on her face, something he'd never expected to see again. Her blissful expression was still the same now; the only thing missing was her surprised delight at the initial taste. So much had changed since then, and yet apparently some things never did. The mental image of how she'd looked then had been seared into his brain, and seeing it again now and especially knowing _he_ had caused it...man, did he like this warm, happy feeling. And what made it so special was that he was the only person who shared these memories with her. No one else had ever seen her like this before; she'd never _let_ anyone else see her like this. Oh, how he loved her.

Honestly, that first time he'd seen her like this was probably when he'd begun falling for her, even if it had taken him a few more weeks and a few more incidents to realize it -- and it was when he'd started seriously scheming to remove the albatross from around his neck so he could try to recapture this moment again, free of all the curses that plagued him as the Chosen. She'd been sublime then, and she was still sublime now. That was probably why he'd always craved seeing this -- because it reminded him of what true joy and beauty really were. She'd always been so different from his hunnies. Where they were always fake, always striving toward some ulterior motive, Sheena was the opposite, being the epitome of simplicity and straightforwardness. Sure, she hid things she didn't want anyone to know or didn't want to 'bother' others with, and she often pretended to be tougher emotionally than she really was, but even then, she was still always _real_, to herself and to her people. And this simple beauty before him now was one of the most 'real' sights he'd ever been privileged to see.

As always seemed to happen, the peach was juicy and a drop of juice trailed down her chin, and while she had a napkin, Zelos just couldn't resist reaching out and brushing it away with his thumb, his heart catching in his throat. Instantly, Sheena froze, her eyes locking with his. "Martel, you're beautiful," he whispered in awe.

He'd expected the blush on her cheeks to deepen, which it did, but he had _not_ expected her face to fall as she lowered her eyes from his and pulled back, away from his hand. "Don't call me that," she murmured.

...Wait, what? His hearing might be insanely good, but he couldn't believe he'd just heard her correctly. "What?"

Sheena set her half-eaten peach on her plate. "Beautiful. Don't call me that."

Zelos blinked and pulled his hand back. "Uh...you're kidding, right?"

She glanced at him for only an instant before looking down at her hands again. Embarrassment was common for her when she'd just been complimented, but this was more than that. "No, I'm not."

Okay, this was just _weird_. She didn't want him to call her 'beautiful'? "Can I ask why?"

"Because..." she began, but her voice trailed off and she frowned, shaking her head faintly.

_Sorry, sweetheart, but I'm not letting you off the hook on this one. _"Sheena?"

Her eyes darted up at him, but she quickly looked away again. "Because...because it makes me think you're being insincere again."

Zelos blinked and his lips parted, feeling like she'd just slapped him. "_What_?"

"You just...you say that to every woman you meet, and I...." Her blush deepened further. "I know I'm _not_ beautiful, so hearing you say that just...." She paused a moment, then sighed and shook her head. "It makes me question if you're being truthful about anything you say or if you're just teasing me again."

...And now he felt like she'd kicked him in the stomach. For a moment, Zelos just gaped at her, unsure how to respond. She thought he was being insincere? Was she really that insecure about her looks? Or was she just oversensitive to things right now because of her meeting with the king? Both were definite possibilities, because even if Sheena truly believed that about herself, she would _never_ have admitted it without another factor causing it. Or did she...did she really not trust him to tell her the truth about her appearance? That last one was the worst possibility, that all the hurt he'd caused her would prove too difficult for her to move past. He deserved to be put in his place, sure, but the thought that that damage was irreparable terrified him. Because if that was true...then this thing between them was over before it could even begin.

"That's...wow. Are you serious?" She nodded faintly, still not looking at him, and for a moment, Zelos just watched her, looking for any hint that _she _wasn't being sincere -- because he'd heard plenty of hunnies who intentionally downplay their looks in hopes of eliciting his praise -- but instead of looking coy or crafty, she actually looked sincerely _distraught_. "You really...you really think that?"

"What?" she countered, covering the side of her face closest to him with her hand, her cheeks blazing. "I'm not. I know it."

...Wow. Zelos had never met a woman who didn't want to be called 'beautiful.' But the more he saw, the more convinced he became that Sheena truly didn't believe she was. If she really thought he'd meant it all those times he'd teased her about her looks, that he'd talked incessantly about her feminine curves because that was her only attractive feature...oh, Martel, what had he _done_? Had he really spent years feeding an insecurity he hadn't even known she had? For him, it had always been a given that a beautiful woman at least recognized her own beauty, so now, to learn this knockout of a woman didn't view herself that way, and, worse, didn't believe him that she was....

"You truly have no idea, do you?" he whispered, feeling like he'd swallowed a lead pipe.

Sheena glanced at him, her face beet red, then quickly looked away again. "Don't try to convince me you mean it, Zelos. Please."

For a moment he just watched her, waiting for the punch line to this not-funny joke, for the hopeful flicker in her eyes that indicated she was fishing for compliments, but neither came. Oh, Martel, she was _serious_. This whole conversation was wrong in so many ways -- but before he could address any of it, he had to know this. He leaned forward. "Sheena, exactly how do you define 'beautiful'? And, more importantly, how do you figure it's not you?"

"Because I'm _not_, Zelos," she said, drawing her legs up to her chest and wrapping her arms around them. "I _know _I'm not. I'm plain. I dress in old, worn clothes, I can't control this hair no matter what I try, I always feel like I'm covered in dirt, and my face...." She closed her eyes. "Ugh, I'm not even going there. There's no way someone like me can compare to...."

Her voice trailed off and she shook her head -- and again, Zelos gaped at her. No, she _couldn't _be implying what he thought. It was ludicrous! He had to bite his tongue to hold back his laughter. They were already treading some dangerous ground he'd never imagined they'd be treading -- because _Sheena_, seriously thinking _this_?! -- and he _would_ _not_ mess this up. "...Compare to my hunnies?"

She lowered her chin to her legs, her nod so faint he almost missed it. "Their dresses are so pretty, and their hair is always in place, and their faces are perfect, and they hold themselves so properly, and I'm just...I'm not any of that."

And again, Zelos bit his tongue to resist laughing. Finally, the truth came out: Sheena truly _had_ been jealous of his hunnies. She might be proud of who she was, but that didn't stop her from believing he'd spent years with his hunnies solely because he deemed them to be 'beautiful.' In one sense, her admission that she sincerely didn'trecognize her own beauty was endearing, but in the other...his teasing really _had_ hurt her, hadn't it? Far worse than he'd ever imagined it had...than he could ever forgive himself for. In fact, all things considered, it was amazing she was sitting here with him at all after that, and the fact that she was, that she'd given him a second chance and said she _loved_ him, was humbling.

But the shock of this unexpected setback had stilled his tongue, and he was having trouble determining how to respond to her, to vocalize his feelings to her, to make it up to her, and to convince her she could trust him now. He had to try, though. "Wow. I...I'm stunned. I had no idea you felt that way. And since I'm probably responsible for it because of how much I used to tease you...Sheena, I am so sorry. I just...I've never met a woman as strikingly beautiful as you who didn't at least _recognize_ it, so I didn't think anything of it back then or that you'd ever believe me; I just wanted you to think I was a jerk. And now, to find out you _did _believe it...." He let out a soft, humorless laugh. "I feel horrible."

Her head snapped upward and, for a moment, she met his gaze, wide-eyed, but then she squeezed her eyes shut and shook her head, her face blazing. "No, no, don't be, Zelos. _I'm_ sorry. I shouldn't have said anything. You didn't say it to upset me, and I didn't mean to wreck our date like this--"

Oh, goodness, was she for _real_? "Are you _kidding_?" he interrupted her. "Sheena, I'm glad you _did_ say something, because I never would've known you felt this way otherwise. At least now I can address it!"

"No!" Sheena exclaimed, shaking her head again vehemently. "No, please, Zelos, just let it drop. Forget I said anything. Please."

"No." He scooted closer to her and touched her face, tilting her chin upward. "I'm sorry, Sheena, but I'm not dropping this." Unsurprisingly, she squeezed her eyes shut and tried to pull away from him, but he _was_ going to say this whether she wanted him to or not, and so he gently drew her face back to his. "Sweetheart, look at me." And fortunately, after another moment of hesitation, she did. "Thank you," he said, offering her a sad smile. "Now, first of all, my hunnies? Sure, to most people, they're beautiful. Granted, nearly every woman in the world is beautiful in her own way, and I can't deny I've told most of them that. The Great Zelos made a point to express his appreciation equally, whether the woman in question really was or not. But Sheena...that doesn't negate the fact that _you really are beautiful_. I am _not_ just saying that -- to every other woman, yeah, but not to you. In fact, I'd go so far as to say you are _the_ most beautiful woman I've ever met. You may not think you compare to my hunnies, but _they_ are the ones who can't compare to _you_."

She bit her lip -- hard, Zelos noted, wincing -- and turned away again, visibly fighting back tears and looking almost _anguished_, an expression that tore at his heart and made him more determined than ever to fix this. "_Please_, Zelos...please stop. Please don't do this."

"Hey," he said, softly yet insistently. "Love, look at me." It took some coaxing with his fingers, but finally she did, and he held her gaze intently. He was dead serious about this, and he needed her to know that. "I would never lie to you about this, and nothing you say can change my impression of you."

He paused a moment, searching for the perfect words to convince her he was telling the truth and help her see herself the way he saw her, but they eluded him -- and the longer he searched without finding them, the more panic built within him. He, world-renowned sweet talker and charmer of women, was at a loss over how to deal with this unexpected and ridiculous but very real and potentially devastating situation. He didn't have time to figure out 'perfection,' though; if he didn't address this _now_, she would interpret his hesitation as proof he was lying. He needed to persuade her of what he sincerely found to be true or 'they' were over. And to that end, all he could do was talk. He had to speak from the heart instead of relying on carefully planned speeches -- a terrifying prospect since it meant he'd have no control over what came out of his mouth, but it really was his only option.

"Sheena, you are...you are _real_," he began as carefully as he could. "Sure, my hunnies may _seem_ beautiful, but you've never seen the inside of their homes. They're filled with products to make themselves look better -- fancy clothes, expensive jewelry, pounds of makeup, nail polish, ridiculous hair products and gels...all sorts of things to cover every blemish that makes them real. And whenever I saw that stuff, I had to ask myself -- if they need all _that_ to be 'beautiful,' then what do they _really_ look like? Beneath the fifteen layers of paint, would I still find someone 'beautiful'? Somehow, I doubt it. I mean, where is the beauty in something so artificial? And yet every day they're out there on the street, flaunting their so-called 'beauty' for everyone to see. But you...."

Again, he paused, taking in the curves of her face, the redness in her cheeks, and the downcast eyes as she clutched her legs like a security blanket. "You don't do any of that. You're all honest-to-goodness _you_; there's nothing artificial about you. I've always loved that about you, Sheena, that you're always true to yourself no matter what...unlike me, who hid behind the Chosen persona my entire life. And what that means is that this beauty I see every time I'm with you...I know it's real, that you're not hiding anything from me. You don't do any of that stuff I used to do, or that my hunnies do to impress everyone -- and I, for one, am glad you don't. You don't need to. Sure, you could use some dolling up at times, but even without that...Sheena, you truly are a beautiful woman, in every sense of the word."

Thankfully, Sheena was finally looking at him again, still clutching her legs but not with the death grip she had before, and Zelos was pleased to see a faint smile appearing on her lips -- but she wasn't convinced yet, either, judging from how her eyebrows rose. "You sure it's not just my chest you find beautiful?"

_Ouch_. Okay, he deserved that. Martel, what had he _done_ to her? Good intentions couldn't make up for the _six years_ he'd treated her like that. Damn, he couldn't believe he'd ever implied her chest was her only asset. He really had been an ass to her, hadn't he? And, worse, he'd been an awful, insensitive friend who hadn't even realized he'd been hurting her at the time because he'd wanted to believe he'd been making her hate him instead.

But the past couldn't be undone; all he could do was convince her of the truth now. Taking a deep breath, Zelos gave her a faint, wistful grin. "Well, of course it's beautiful. You're beautiful all over, and that includes _that_." He motioned at her. "I mean _Martel_, Sheena, you're _hot_, and since I'm male, naturally my hormones sit up and take notice of it, especially when your clothes highlight the view so nicely." It took all his willpower not to ogle her cleavage now that they were talking about it -- he really had been doing better ignoring that part of her anatomy lately, or at least of keeping those thoughts at bay until a better time -- but he firmly told himself no, absolutely not, he _could not_ indulge in that right now. Considering their current topic and her skittishness, even _he_ knew succumbing to that urge would lose any credibility he might still have with her.

"But that's not what I'm talking about now," he quickly went on. "I'm talking about _you_, Sheena -- _all_ of you. My hunnies are all so fair in complexion that they look exactly the same, like gingerbread men painted up with different colored hair and clothes. They act the same, too, spending their time ordering people around, gossiping and saying nasty things about everyone, donning tight, fancy, painful dresses to make others jealous of them, pretending to act all coy and shy even while putting others down...seriously, where's the beauty in that, in wasting their lives and in being so fake?"

Sheena didn't answer, but at least she was watching him closely again. _Thank Martel, she's listening_, he thought. He smiled softly, his heart skipping a beat at the sheer _beauty_ sitting here with him. "And then there's you, this dark, exotic, beautiful flower...." He chuckled, surprising even himself with how shy he felt at being so honest with her. It was ridiculous to feel that way after he'd spent yearspraising women, but this...this felt different. This felt _new_ and _foreign_. But strange and unfamiliar or not, he had to do this, and so do this he would. "Heh. I still remember my first impression of you. I thought, _'Wow. Finally, a pretty girl who doesn't look like a cookie cutter clone and isn't afraid to walk around Meltokio with a smudge of dirt on her face.'_ And then when I finally talked to you, I was intrigued when you said nothing about your 'perfect pedigree,' how expensive your clothes were, how awful the other girls looked, or how much you'd _love_ to spend some 'quality time' with me.

"And your face...." He swallowed hard, his heart pounding as she bit her lip, still watching him. "I could look at you for hours and never tire of it. I mean, everything about you...what you do to me whenever I'm with you...." He shook his head, struggling for the words to express how crazy she drove him. "These dark eyes..." he gently brushed her hair out of her eyes, "...this soft, flawless skin..." his fingers trailed over her forehead, eliciting a shiver from her, "...this exotic coloring..." they continued over her rosy cheeks, "...this adorable nose..." they brushed the bridge of her nose, "...these full lips..." feather-light, they skirted over her lips, "...and this smile...oh, Martel, this _smile_...." His heart fluttered, and he swallowed again, trying to keep his voice steady. "There is nothing more beautiful in this world than seeing you smile." Her blush flared and she looked down at her knees shyly -- but, thank Martel, the smile was toying on her lips again. "And my goodness, this _hair._..." His finger strayed to an unruly lock of dark hair and twirled it. "I love seeing you with your hair down. It's wild and it's gorgeous and after you've washed it, it gets all wavy and silky and all I want to do is run my fingers through it. I used to look forward to being the night watch because it meant I could watch you sleep with the firelight flickering on this gorgeous hair as it framed your face."

Her eyes darted up at him again, still guarded, but her face had softened into something almost hopeful, he thought. "Really?"

Her difficulty accepting this was amazing -- and endearing, too, because this modesty and embarrassment was just so _Sheena_. She had truly never seen herself in this light before. Seriously, had _no one _ever told her how beautiful she was? Well, her grandfather, probably, before all hell broke loose with Volt, because most parental units told their kids that, but how was it no one else in Mizuho had ever had a crush on her and whispered sweet nothings in her ear? She was gorgeous, a standout amongst women, and surely _someone_ else had to have noticed that. _Right_?

_...Oh, right, _Zelos suddenly realized. _Look who I'm talking about: Mizuho, the village that's determined to turn its people into emotionless robots._ No, she probably _hadn't_ been told she was beautiful before (_by someone who truly meant it_, he thought wistfully, remembering all the times he'd teasingly called her that before), especially if it took her people years to forgive her for the whole Volt incident. And people outside of Mizuho would just see a ninja, someone they'd been brainwashed to fear and hate, not someone admirable. He just wished he'd recognized these insecurities before so he could've toned the teasing down a notch or teased her about something else.

But again, he reminded himself, he couldn't change that now; all he could do was show her he would never hurt her like that again. So instead of kicking himself or over-thinking this, Zelos touched her cheek again and offered her a tender smile. "Really." Quirking an eyebrow, he motioned at the pink ribbon in her hair, unsure how she'd react to this but needing to find out. "May I...?"

Sheena watched him wide-eyed a moment, but then she nodded, so faintly he almost missed it -- and that, more than anything, gave him hope she might finally be starting to believe him since he couldn't remember her ever letting anyone else do this before. He smiled gratefully, then scooted closer and gently untied her ribbon...and he was awed as her wavy, ebony hair fell loose around her face. He pulled back a little to look her over, trying to absorb it all: her rosy cheeks, her creamy skin, the curves of her face, her dark almond eyes, her full lips, her endearing shyness as her gaze fell downward....

Zelos swallowed hard at the sight before him. "Absolutely beautiful," he whispered, reaching up and, with utmost reverence, touching her face. "I am so in love with you, Sheena."

Her face melted further as she met his gaze again and her lips curled upward into...oh, Martel, that was his favorite smile, the lovely, shy one that told him how touched she was. His fingers gently trailed over her face, brushing her hair back, and he mirrored her broadening smile. And then, furthering his amazement, she slowly leaned forward, her gaze drifting down to his mouth, and a moment later, her lips grazed his before she quickly pulled back, just enough to see his face, and looked him over carefully. He waited, his heart pounding and stomach fluttering in anticipation and his eyes half-lidded as desire and love swept through him, tempted to capture her lips with his in a kiss that left them both breathless, but after he'd just bared his heart to her like that, the next move was hers. And, fortunately, only a few seconds later she pressed her lips to his again, longer that time, giving him a kiss so sweet and sincere that it left him breathless anyway, expressing louder than any words her gratitude and telling him she felt the same, her hands lifting to his face and tenderly holding him...and oh, Martel, she tasted like peaches, luring him further into bliss and leaving him desperate for more and terrified he could never get enough....

_Click_.

Instantly, they froze and their eyes flew open. Sheena pulled back a little, her eyes narrowing and her hands lowering to his shoulders. "Did you hear that?" she whispered.

"Yeah, I did." Oh, yeah, he'd heard it, loud and clear, thanks to these damn angel senses. But he hadn't just heard it; it had struck a nerve with him. "And for some reason that sounded really familiar. Where have I...?" She searched his face but shook her head, telling him she couldn't help him. Damn, where had he heard that before...? And just like that, the answer hit him. Aw, _crap_. That was _that_ sound. Zelos released a disgusted groan, rubbed his eyes, and shook his head. "You've _got_ to be _kidding_ me! Talk about ruining the perfect moment...."

"What is it?" Sheena pressed, touching his arm. "Zelos, do you know what that was?"

He sighed, lowered his hand, and gave her a wry grin. And he'd been doing so well here, too, not only chiseling away at her insecurities and hopefully earning another piece of her trust, but being rewarded for his efforts with a sweet kiss, too! And then _bam_, his celebrity status had to ruin everything _again_. "_That_ would be a camera clicking. Take a wild guess who apparently followed us out here."

Zelos could tell the instant she got it for her face fell and her head sank downward, her hands, alas, pulling away from him. "And here I thought we'd done a good job of shaking your annoying stalkers!"

"Yeah, me too, babe." Agh, why? Why, why, _why_? Was he cursed? Was life determined to wreck everything good he had going for him? This officially sucked. "Have I mentioned yet how much I hate my life?" he said, giving her another wry grin. "I guess we don't have to wonder what we'll find on the front page of the paper tomorrow, do we?" Her lips pursed into an angry frown, and she closed her eyes and shook her head, growling lowly. So much for her tolerance of the stupidity that accompanied dating him. Tonight was just proving to be one hurdle after another, wasn't it? First the king had detained her for hours, then he'd inadvertently set off a landmine by calling her 'beautiful,' and now his crazy stalker had interrupted one of his Favoritest Moments Ever. Maybe they should just call it a night, say they'd given it their best shot, and accept this wouldn't work because fate had placed them on the 'Doomed to Fail' list. His fake grin faded, and he sighed wearily, his heart sinking so low he was afraid it would fall out of his chest. "Listen, Sheena, I am really sorry about this. If I'd known he was following us, I...."

"No, no, Zelos, don't be sorry," she cut him off, her eyes flying open. "This isn't _your_ fault; you didn't invite him here with us. In fact...." Without warning, her face lit up with something he definitely hadn't expected to see: an amused smirk. And then it hit him: she was plotting something sinister, something decidedly ninja-esque. Before he could so much as narrow his eyes at her, she climbed onto her knees and then rose to her feet. "Wait here," she told him with a sneaky grin. "I'll be right back. I promise."

Zelos blinked, stunned, as she started walking north. "What? Wait a minute! Where are _you_ going?" She glanced back at him, smiling innocently, then shrugged and raced off into the woods. "Hey! Annoying or not, don't _kill_ him!" He waited a moment, gaping in the direction she'd run off to -- which definitely _wasn't_ the direction the '_click'_ had come from, meaning she must have something else in mind -- but she didn't come back, and not for the first time, Zelos found himself wondering what had possessed him to make someone as hot-tempered and independent as _Sheena Fujibayashi_ his first ever serious girlfriend. A moment later, he burst out into soft laughter, not only amused by her actions, but relieved at knowing he'd so far managed to navigated the rocky terrain surrounding them. And so, deciding to just roll with it and enjoy the ride, Zelos shook his head, leaned back on his hands, and waited for his date to return from hunting down his crazy stalker and doing...whatever it was she was planning on doing to him.

*

When the idea had first struck her, Sheena hadn't thought stalking a stalker would prove to be so much _fun_. Their eavesdropper (a short, chubby, middle-aged, balding, mustached man wearing some frilly, pretentious clothes that made it extremely hard not to laugh and give away her position) had still been taking pictures of Zelos when she'd located him attempting to hide behind a scrawny bush on the other side of the stream, and a quick look up at the tree boughs had determined her plan of attack. She deftly climbed the nearest tree and waited until he snapped another picture, then she dropped a branch off to his left. Instantly, his head snapped toward the clatter, seeking its source -- but by then she'd already darted across the treetops to his other side and dropped another branch, making his head snap that way next, his eyes widening. She repeated that pattern a few times, and then, when he finally stood up, disentangling himself from the bush as panic sank in, and turned to leave, she did a back flip out of the tree and landed gracefully on her feet in front of him, blocking his egress. He gasped and jumped back, his eyes widening further, then abruptly turned and began running.

"Oh, I don't think so. You're not going anywhere." Before he'd even taken three steps, Sheena pulled out her cards -- _never go anywhere without a weapon, even on a date_, she thought smugly, suspecting that was why Zelos, too, had brought his sword -- and sent them flying.

She made sure not to harm the man, but he did stop, his fear and panic obvious as he turned to her. A moment later, though, he sucked in a deep breath and puffed out his chest. He was trying to appear calm and in control -- she'd seen plenty of cornered people try to do the same -- but the _'click'_ the camera made, meaning he'd accidentally taken a picture of her standing there with her arms folded, her expression as stern as possible given her overwhelming need to laugh, indicated how nervous he was. "Stop!" he said, lifting a pudgy hand toward her. "You cannot harm me! I am a very important person!"

"Yeah, _sure_ you are," she muttered, unimpressed. "Stalkers are _so_ very important, aren't they?"

He sniffed, sticking his nose up. "Hmpf. I am not a _stalker_. I am a _reporter."_

"Reporter, stalker, celebrity fiction writer...whatever you want to call it. In my book, they're all the same." But that wasn't important, and since she really wanted to get back to her date, she'd cut to the chase. "So anyway, here's the deal. You're going to give me your camera to make up for _stalking_ my boyfriend and taking pictures of us during some moments we'd really rather keep private."

"I most certainly will not!" he retorted with a haughty laugh. "This camera is my life."

Sheena shrugged and gave him a crooked smile. He apparently hadn't heard how persuasive ninjas could be yet, had he? "I guess you'll just have to get a new life then, won't you?"

His shifty eyes trailed down her body with thinly veiled disgust. "I think _not_. Who are _you_ to tell _me_ what to do? You are nothing but a filthy ninja!"

"...Who, according to the Chosen, is worthy of being his girlfriend," Sheena felt the need to point out. She still couldn't fathom that herself, why Zelos would be sincerely interested in _her_, but she had to accept he was -- just like she now had to accept that, to him, she really was beautiful...a thought that made her heart skip a beat. At least she managed to stifle her smile as she remembered Zelos's earlier words -- and especially the intensity, sincerity, and love in his eyes as he'd observed her after pulling the ribbon her hair.

"Ugh, yes, and then there is the _Chosen_," the man said, rolling his eyes. "That man is an imbecile, a womanizer, and an irresponsible child who would be a nobody were it not for his title and wealth. I would pay him no heed except his escapades with every woman in the world make for some highly popular stories for which the newspaper pays handsomely."

Sheena had to dig her nails into her palms to resist the urge to smack him. That 'imbecile,' 'womanizer,' and 'irresponsible child' had now proven himself to be one of the sweetest, most gorgeous yet tortured men Sheena had ever met -- a perverted idiot, yes, but not those other things. But she wasn't about to waste time trying to convince _this_ louse of that. "Whatever. But you're still giving me that camera."

"Hmpf," he sniffed again, sticking his nose up higher. "Or what? You'll stomp your feet, jump up and down, and throw a ninja hissy fit?"

She grinned. Heh, was that how he thought ninjas operated? How..._quaint_. "Nope."

The man rolled his eyes. "Then there is no chance of me giving it to you now, is there?"

"Actually, I think you'll want to," she said, her grin broadening. "Because if you don't...well, you won't like what happens to you."

"And now she threatens me with _physical violence_," he said. "What a _shocking_ novelty. Such actions may intimidate that cowardly Chosen, but they do _not_ intimidate _me_."

_Moron. You know nothing about ninjas, do you?_ "Oh, _I'm_ not the one you should be worrying about. In fact, I won't touch a single hair on your head." _Or your ridiculously curled mustache._

"Then you give me no incentive to give you anything," he stated, literally hugging his precious camera to his chest.

It took all her restraint not to roll her eyes. "I didn't get to the threat part yet. _I _won't touch you, but unless you hand over that camera, I'm going to tell Zelos's hunnies that you have pictures of him naked on it. I'm also going to tell them exactly where your little 'hideout' is so they can...retrieve...it."

Ah, finally his haughty grin was fading. "You...you cannot know that," he said, then stuck his nose up again. "You are from that stupid, dirty ninja village, not from the high society of Meltokio."

...Yeah, so? Being from a 'stupid, dirty ninja village' -- and if this wasn't so much fun, she'd be tearing off his head for constantly insulting her people like that -- meant she couldn't figure that out? How did _that _work? Eh, whatever. This moron truly wasn't worth her effort. "Oh, but I _can_ know it. See, _I'm_ not the one who figured it out; that _imbecile_," she motioned in Zelos's general direction, "did. You're in the front room of that house directly across the street from his mansion." His grin faltered further -- not that she needed that confirmation since her 'stupid, dirty ninja people' had confirmed it for her two days ago. Heh, they'd confirmed a lot more than that, too. Her eyebrows rose. "Now, tell me, if you've been _stalking_ him as long as he says you have, then you must know what his hunnies are capable of, right? Do you really want to stand between them and their rabid obsession?"

Perfect. His grin was now gone, and sweat was beading on his face. "You would not do such a thing."

She couldn't resist smirking. "Oh, believe me, I would."

"They...they would never listen to you," he said, a tremor of fear lacing his voice. "They cannot stand you, either."

She shrugged. "No, maybe not, but do you _really_ want to take the chance that they won't believe me? Especially after Zelos told them I was his girlfriend -- someone who _would_ know if a certain _stalker_ had taken such pictures? And what do you think their 'holy grail' of treasures would be? Wouldn't, oh, naked pictures of Zelos qualify?" He didn't answer, but Sheena grinned knowingly as his Adam's apple bobbed. "I thought so, too. I think they'd be willing to believe me this time, especially if I framed it right. Let's see...." She lifted her hand to her chest, summoning her best 'hunny impression.' "_'Oh, that reporter who lives across the street from Zelos is __**so annoying**__! Taking pictures of my boyfriend while he was in the shower and everything! I mean, I know Zelos is a hot guy and all that, but if anyone's going to take pictures of him naked, it should be __**me**__, his __**girlfriend**__, not some weird reporter freak! I __**have**__ to find that camera. Those pictures should be __**mine**__!_'" She grinned evilly as his eyes widened in alarm. "And believe me, I will have oodles of fun watching them tear you to shreds while they're searching for it."

For a long moment, the man just stood there silently, a bead of sweat trickling down his forehead, but finally he nodded. "Very well, I will no longer take pictures of you or the Chosen. However, the camera stays with me."

He hugged the camera to him even tighter, but Sheena shook her head. "Nope. That's not negotiable. The camera stays with me or Zelos's hunnies find it for me. And I guarantee they won't be as nice about it as I'm being now." Still he hesitated, though, and finally, she shrugged as if washing her hands of this. _Tormenting idiots really shouldn't be this easy and entertaining,_ she thought, biting back another grin. "No? Okay, fine. Have it your way." Sheena pointed at him as she began walking around him. "Just remember, _you_ chose the hunnies."

"V...very well." Before she could take a step past him, the man shoved the camera at her. "Here is your gift. I hope you enjoy it."

Heh. As expected, he was a complete pushover. "Wow, thanks!" she said, smiling broadly and hugging the camera. "This is exactly what I wanted! Now, if you'll excuse me, I have a date to --" She froze as if realizing something. "Oh, wait. I almost forgot. One more thing."

His eyes widened and he took a step away from her. "B...but I have already given you what you wanted!"

Sheena smiled mock-apologetically, pretending to feel bad for 'imposing' further on him. "Well, yeah, but there's one more thing I really want. See, every day a new story appears in the newspaper about my boyfriend, speculating about, well, everything about him, and that really ticks off not only him, but me, too, because, you know, by doing that, you're interfering with my ability to stay undercover. Well, that and it's really annoying to find new stories about yourself every day that are either slanderous, only partially true, or discuss private matters. And if you keep upsetting me like that...well, you've heard of the Mizuho Information Network, right? You're a reporter; you must have at least _heard_ about it, right?"

He swallowed nervously. "I...I have...."

Good. One less thing to waste time explaining. "So you've probably also heard how good they are at their job, right? And how anyone who gets in their way discovers just how dedicated they are to it, even if it means..._removing_...those obstacles?" He nodded, visibly trembling now. "Yeah, thought so. And it's because of how well we do our job that I can tell you your real name is Harry McHenry, your writing alias is Roland Fredericks, your wife, Margaret, divorced you ten years ago, you're estranged from your 13-year-old son, Barry, who lives in Altamira with his mother, your own mother died 25 years ago as of next month, and your father lives in the middle class section of Meltokio and has no idea his son is a sleazy gossip reporter who's 'too busy' to go see him except on New Year's Day. Even _Zelos_ doesn't know any of that about you." She grinned craftily. "But _I_ do."

The sweat was now rolling freely down his face, some dripping into his eyes and making him rub at them nervously. "Wh...what do you w...want?"

Her grin vanished and she folded her arms to her chest. "Leave Zelos alone. Permanently."

His eyes widened and he took a step toward her. "B...but if I...if I d...do that, then I...I will have n...nothing to wr...write about! I will not get p...paid!"

"You shouldn't get paid for gossiping about people," Sheena stated. "Find something worthwhile to write about, like how the upper classes can help those poor people stuck in the slums, but don't pester good people who just want to be left alone to live their lives. Let Zelos do what he wants to do; let him be who he wants to be; let him love who he wants to love. The rest of Meltokio doesn't need to know those details. And if you _don't _let him do that, if you insist on capitalizing on his efforts to be a normal person...well, the Mizuho Information Network will soon be under _my _control, and I doubt you want to find out which of our secret ninja arts I'm willing to authorize them to use to silence you. _For good_." Her eyebrows rose. "Are we clear?"

He quickly nodded, and Sheena's face wrinkled in distaste. _This guy insists on calling my people 'filthy, dirty ninjas,' and yet here he is, sweating like a pig. Disgusting hypocrite_. "Y...yes, ma'am, I...I understand," he sputtered.

"Good," she said, nodding curtly. "Then get outta here. And if I see even one more word about Zelos or myself in the paper...."

He gulped as Sheena made a slicing motion at her throat. "O...of c...course, ma'am! I won't say another word, honest, I won't!"

She nodded, once again biting back the urge the laugh, and pointed at him. "Just remember: my people will be watching your every move, making sure you never get in our way again. For the Rest. Of. Your. Life."

His face was so white, Sheena was afraid he would pass out. For a moment, she actually felt bad for threatening him like that -- because it wasn't like he'd _killed_ someone -- but then she remembered the article Zelos had shown her and smirked as he suddenly turned and ran as if Abyssion himself was hot on his tail. She watched him until he vanished into the trees before grinning wickedly and letting out a soft, "Heh." To quote Zelos: "_Mission accomplished_." This guy wouldn't be bothering them again. And, even better, she'd had far more fun doing so than anyone should while....

...Wait. She was still holding the _camera_. Sheena lifted and observed it. It was just a metallic box covered with buttons and glass panels. But how did it work? She'd never even seen one of these things before, so the box was a total enigma to her. But she did know it took pictures...her eyes widened. Oh, Jizou, this was _Zelos's stalker's camera_. Which meant it had pictures of _Zelos_ on it, probably even a few of her, too. Well, she could do without the pictures of her, but those of him? Yeah, she could hang onto this thing for awhile and figure out how to view those pictures. This could actually be fun.

Smiling broadly, Sheena began heading back toward their picnic site to show her companion what she had...she froze. If Zelos knew she had this...he would steal it from her, take hundreds of inappropriate pictures of her, and then make a collection of those pictures to drool over. While the thought wasn't as appalling as it would have once been since he really did seem to find her beautiful, she still didn't need him doing _that_. She would always be worrying he'd try to snap pictures when she least expected it; he could never resist the temptation. He really did have the strangest yet, bizarrely enough, _endearing_ tendency to jump from complete pervert to the sweetest man she'd ever met in the blink of an eye, and ultimately, she just didn't want to see what kind of mischief he'd get into with this thing. She sure wasn't giving it up, though, either. Not only was it a gold mine, but, well, how else would she get a camera? These things were extremely expensive, and she was sure Mizuho could find plenty of uses for it one day.

So that meant she had to keep the camera without letting Zelos _know _she'd kept it. Scanning the trees, she quickly spotted what she needed: a small nook about halfway up one of the trees. She quickly climbed up the tree to the hole and, after checking nothing was inside, placed the camera there and hopped back down. Now, to mark it so she could find it again...grabbing a sturdy twig, she made an innocuous mark on the tree directly behind her and then kept marking trees until she reached the 'bridge' across the stream. Either she'd come back here and get it herself, or she'd send one of her fellow ninjas to do so. The area didn't appear widely traveled, either, so it was unlikely anyone else would find it, and the nook itself was so small she couldn't imagine any animals being able to push it out. Satisfied it was safe, Sheena grinned and crossed the stream, eager to rejoin her date.

It took her a moment to find him (for some reason she'd been looking for him further to the north...which was odd because she usually remembered stuff like that), but when she finally spotted him, sitting on the blanket and leaning back against a tree, she smirked and quickly rejoined him (well, _bounced_ back to him...she really should tone down her exuberance or he'd get suspicious). Now she just hoped he hadn't overheard them or her efforts to conceal the camera would end in failure.

The moment he noticed her, he grinned. "Well, well! Don't _you_ look like the cat that ate the canary?"

Her smirk broadened as she reclaimed her earlier spot. Something about their setup here seemed off, but she couldn't pinpoint what was wrong with it...and really, she was feeling too smug to care. Right now, she just wanted to gloat...kind of. But then again, maybe _not _telling him would be even more fun. Yeah...she liked that idea better. "Heh. It should be illegal to have that much fun."

For a moment, Zelos watched her expectantly -- yep, she knew what _he _wanted -- but his patience quickly wore off and he motioned for her to hurry up. "Well, come on, talk already!"

"Hmm," she murmured as she tapped her chin, pretending to consider that. "Let's just say you won't be having reporter problems for...well, for _ever_."

His lips parted. "You didn't really kill him, did you?"

Sheena lowered her hand and smiled sweetly. "I'm not acknowledging or denying anything."

A wicked gleam lit his eyes as he smirked. "Heh. That's my girl. You've been hanging around me too long, love...which is really kinda scary since this is only our first date." Before she could even roll her eyes at that, though, he leaned forward. "So what did you do to him?"

Mirroring his conspiratorial stance, she leaned forward, her eyes darting around for 'eavesdroppers,' then looked back at him. "Bet you'd like to know, wouldn't ya?"

His eyes widened as he pulled back to see her. "Wait...you're not going to _tell_ me?"

She shrugged. "Nope. A ninja has to have her secrets, you know." Abruptly, she pointed at him. "But I will say this: I didn't touch him."

He blinked at her, but then released an incredulous laugh. "Sheena, what did you _do_?!"

_Yep, this, too, is way too much fun. _Maybe someday she would tell him, but not today. "Sorry, but my lips are sealed." For a moment, Zelos just gaped at her, but then he leaned closer, his eyes narrowing as he looked at her mouth, tilting his head a little. And Sheena couldn't help it: she burst out laughing at his comically serious expression. "Zelos, what are you _doing_?"

"I'm checking for little yellow feathers sticking out of your mouth," he stated as if the answer should have been completely obvious. Without warning, his hand shot upward and, without actually touching her, he pinched at her mouth before pretending to pull something away. "Found one."

Sheena broke out laughing again as he tossed the 'feather' over his shoulder, his wicked, playful smirk back. It was the strangest impulse, but she couldn't resist playing along -- and for once, common sense wasn't stopping her. "Yes, that's right, I _roasted_ and _ate_ him."

Zelos cocked his head, his smirk betraying his amusement and maybe even amazement that she was playing along. "_Reeeeally_. How'd he taste?"

She shrugged. "Eh, just okay. Kinda tough and stringy, actually, but he tasted better once I added some barbecue sauce." Zelos's lips parted and his eyes widened, and Sheena beamed him a wicked grin. "He probably would've tasted better covered in edible body paints, though. Y'know, to cover over the lingering slimeball taste." He was outright gaping now, and Sheena lifted a finger to her lips. "Hmm...if I'd painted him up to look like a chicken, do you think he would've _tasted_ like chicken?"

For a moment, Zelos just continued watching her, but then suddenly he burst out laughing, so purely and intensely that he was soon clutching his stomach, and Sheena was helpless but join him. And it was then that she realized something: while he might claim her smile was beautiful, _his_ real smiles and laughter, as opposed to the fake, overly cheerful ones she'd seen for years, back when he'd never truly been happy but had hid that fact from everyone, were utterly magnificent. As gorgeous as this man was normally, he was even more so when he was sincerely happy like this, when he forgot his cares and worries and when the weight of the world and his obligations as the Chosen weren't tempering his spirit. And knowing she had caused him this happiness...her heart pounded faster, and a wave of something so powerful it could only be love crashed over her. This whole thing felt so incredibly _good_. She suddenly wanted to do it again, to make him this happy all the time and help him abandon the mask for good. Heaven knew he deserved it.

It took a few minutes, but eventually he calmed enough to look at her again, a few soft laughs still escaping him and the smile on his face so damn _real_ that it hurt to realize how many smiles she'd seen from him that _hadn't_ been real. "You ninjas are _insane_, aren't you?"

Sheena grinned and pointed sharply at him. "Hey, _you're_ the one who wanted to date me!"

"Hell, yeah, I did!" Zelos said, wiping at his eyes. "And believe me, love, I still do. More now than ever before, in fact. Oh, _man_. I can't remember the last time I laughed like that." He took a deep breath, but then chuckled again as he met her eyes. "Have I mentioned yet how glad I am to see you loosening up like this?"

Her blush returned and she looked down, still smiling. She knew what he meant: for years, she'd always been so tightly wound, taking everything so seriously and dwelling on the past instead of enjoying the present. And honestly, while she still wasn't sure what had possessed her to joke with him like this, she loved the effect it had had not only on him, but on herself. There was just something about being with Zelos that did that to her, made her do things she never would have done under any other circumstances.

And for a moment, she was nearly overwhelmed by the urge to go back to the kiss that reporter had interrupted earlier, but Zelos was right: the moment had been ruined. They'd just have to wait for another one to arise. At least now, while she still might not believe she really was beautiful, she couldn't deny _he _viewed her as such anymore. It wasn't the first time he'd called her that, but it was the first time she'd believed he meant it. The look in his eyes at the time, the love and sadness and earnestness and determination, with no hint of deception or uncertainty, had made it clear how much he had. And now whenever he called her that again, she would always look back at that moment and know he wasn't just saying it to cajole her with smooth flattery; he was saying it because he truly did find her to be beautiful.

So instead of kissing him, Sheena opted for something different that conveyed the same message. Grabbing her plate with her half-eaten peach, she crawled over to him, seated herself beside him, and bumped his shoulder with hers. "You're a terrible influence on me, you know," she said, taking a bite of her peach and giving him a soft but happy smile.

Zelos's eyes briefly widened at her choice to sit by him, but then he grinned and wrapped his left arm around her, pulling her closer to him -- and oh, did it feel nice. She never would have considered willingly initiating such contact with him before for fear he'd try something perverted, but she couldn't help herself. Sitting with him like this felt right -- not awkward or weird, but _right_. "Yeah, I see that," he murmured, pressing his cheek to her forehead. "And I, for one, am glad I am."

"I'm probably going to regret saying this, but I'm glad you are, too," she replied, leaning further into him and taking another bite of her peach. Zelos kissed her temple tenderly, then rested his head against hers. She finished eating her peach in silence...and it was only as she was setting the pit on her plate that it finally hit her, what was 'wrong' with this entire setup and why she hadn't found him where she'd expected to earlier: the trees around them were different. She eyed the area again to make sure, but the clearing where they were seemed to be slightly smaller than it had before, with more trees directly around them on every side but to the west, where the bluff was more visible than she remembered it being earlier...and speaking of the bluff, they actually seemed to be about twenty feet closer to it than before. Suddenly, she pointed to a clearing barely visible to their north. "Wait...weren't we over _there_ before?"

His lips curled upward into a smirk. "Heh. I was wondering when you'd notice that."

Sheena pulled away so she could see his face. "You _moved_ us? What was wrong with _that_ spot?!"

Zelos batted his eyelashes in a completely ineffective show of innocence. "But I didn't have a tree to lean against over there!"

For a moment, she just gaped at him. _Oh, Jizou, he did __**not**__ just say that!_ "You moved our entire picnic site so you could have a _backrest_?"

"What?" he said, his eyes widening. "You were gone a long time while you were barbecuing that reporter and I was getting bored waiting for you to get back!"

...He moved their entire picnic site so he could have a _backrest_. She shook her head incredulously, scarcely able to believe she was on a date with someone who would waste time doing _that_, but try as she might, she couldn't stop grinning -- and then laughing at his innocent expression. "You are such an idiot."

He grinned broadly and shrugged, then motioned at the cliff. "Besides, there's a clearer view of the ocean from here."

Still laughing, Sheena laid her head on his shoulder. Well, yeah, there was, but that didn't erase the fact that he was, hands down, the strangest, most unpredictable man she'd ever met. She suspected she would never comprehend how he thought or why he did the wackiest things imaginable...but regardless, she thought she actually _liked_ that she didn't know what he was going to do next. For years, that unpredictability had made her uncomfortable, forcing her to brace herself for anything from him, be it random perversity or shocking insight and sensitivity, but now...now it wasn't so uncomfortable anymore. Maybe it was what she'd overheard him telling Sebastian three days ago, or maybe it was the look in his eyes earlier when he'd called her beautiful, but she knew he truly cared about her and would never intentionally hurt her again. And, in fact, because she _did_ know that now, she couldn't help but find his unpredictability to be _fun_ at times. It forced her to stay on her toes to keep up with him, and wasn't that a good thing for a ninja to be able to do?

A breeze suddenly swept past them, blowing her hair in her eyes, and only then did Sheena realize something else. She lifted her head from his shoulder and arched an eyebrow at him. "And what happened to my ribbon?"

Zelos grinned wickedly. "Heh."

Her eyes narrowed. Uh oh. He hadn't even _tried_ to answer that. "_Zelos_...."

Instantly, the wicked grin vanished, replaced by an innocent mask. "What? It's perfectly safe. I didn't lose it while moving everything. See?" He lifted his right hand, and Sheena rolled her eyes. There, around his gloved wrist, was her ribbon, tied into a perfect bow. Well, at least _that_ mystery was solved -- although how he'd managed to tie a perfect bow one-handed was a mystery unto itself.

Sheena held out her hand and gave him a pointed look. "Okay, buddy, hand it over."

"Hmm." Pretending to think seriously about that, Zelos tapped his lips with a finger, but then shook his head. "No, I don't think I want to."

_No kidding_. "Zelos, my hair is flapping around in my face!"

"So I see," he said, observing her closely. _Oh, yippee, the smirk is back_, she noted, unsure whether to be annoyed or amused. "And it looks _divine_."

She rolled her eyes, but even she knew her smile was betraying her again. Okay, time for a new tactic. She smiled sweetly. "Please?"

"Nope!" he said, grinning way too brightly.

Ugh, _that _didn't work, either? She growled lowly. "Zelos...."

"Nope!"

_Threats, meet Zelos. Zelos, meet threats._ Her eyebrows rose in warning. "Don't make me resort to extreme ninja torture methods."

...Damn, he still wasn't impressed. His eyebrows, too, rose challengingly. "Oho, are you _threatening_ me now, sweetheart?"

The idiot had the gall to call her _sweetheart _while _taunting _her? That called for drastic measures. "Are you, by any chance, ticklish?"

The flash of alarm in his eyes was so quick that Sheena barely caught it...but she _did_ catch it. Heh. This was going to be fun. "Nope!" he said.

_Yeah, right. We'll see about that._ She grinned wickedly. "Uh huh, _sure_. If that's true, then _this_..." she pulled away from him and reached for his chest, "...should have no effect on you." She hesitated, letting the anticipation build, watching his eyes widen in alarm as he lifted his hands defensively...and then she lunged at him, dodged his hands as he tried batting hers away, and began tickling him. She'd barely touched him when he began laughing and shrieking and carefully trying to push her away, but Sheena kept going, not even caring that she was grinning and laughing like an idiot. Well, well. Who would've thought _Zelos Wilder _would prove to be ticklish? _Oh, if only Lloyd and Genis had known this...._

The 'battle' continued for several minutes until Zelos was lying on his back, his face red, still laughing and giggling uncontrollably and struggling to keep her hands away from the traitorous parts of his body, and Sheena was sitting astride his waist...nearly _lying_ on him, part of her recognized, even if the rest was having too much fun to care. "Surrender and give me my ribbon!" she demanded between laughs.

"Okay, okay!" he finally said, throwing out his hands in defeat. "I surrender! I surrender!"

Instantly, Sheena stopped and placed her hands on the ground on either side of his head, panting and trying to reclaim her breath. "Ha! I won!"

Zelos took a few deep breaths, still laughing, but then his grin grew downright _dastardly_ as his gaze trailed down her face, then her neck, then lower. "I don't know, I'm pretty sure _I_ won this one, seeing as you're now lying on top of me. I tell ya, this view is to _die_ for...."

_Oh, great Jizou!_ "You idiot!" She punched his shoulder lightly, blood rushing to her face as his eyes snapped up to hers and he waggled his eyebrows, but then she pushed herself up and off of him and held out her hand, helping him sit up, both of them laughing again. Once Zelos had resumed his earlier position leaning back against the tree, Sheena held out her hand. "Okay, I won, so hand it over."

Lifting a hand to his chest, Zelos took a moment to catch his breath before giving her _the _most endearing puppy dog pout she'd ever seen -- but it was the softness and seriousness in his eyes that disarmed her the most. "C'mon, Sheena, indulge me just this once. Please?"

Oh, damn him. How could she resist _that_? Something told her she was a sucker for caving so easily, but...well, other than the annoyance of having hair flying in her face, what would it really hurt? "All right, fine," she said, sighing in defeat, then pointed sharply at him. "But just for tonight."

Unsurprisingly, Zelos beamed her a bright smile, looking like a kid who'd just been handed a bag of candy -- seriously, what _was_ the big deal with her hair? How could something so unruly excite him so much? -- and then he untied the ribbon from his wrist and handed it to her. "Thank you. That's all I'm asking for." He tilted his head, a smirk toying on his lips. "Well, that and any other times I can catch you with your guard down and steal this thing away from you...."

...Yeah, she was afraid of that. Well, not really, but she wouldn't tell _him _that. "Don't push it," she said, shooting him the best glare she could manage given her blush, but then she took the ribbon and crawled over to him, resuming her position beside him. For a moment, she was tempted to tie up her hair again anyway, just to annoy him, but finally she wrapped the ribbon around her right wrist...and then stared at it. Okay, so how _had_ Zelos done this before one-handed, really?

"Here, let me," Zelos said with a knowing grin, then he took the ribbon and gently tied it around her wrist into a pretty bow. Once finished, he pressed a brief but unexpectedly tender kiss to the back of her hand that made her gasp as the simple yet characteristic gesture left her feeling like a schoolgirl with a crush on him all over again. He then released her hand and wrapped his arm around her, drawing her close to rest her head on his shoulder again. Her eyes slid shut as she breathed in deeply, reveling in his warm body and his slightly spicy, definitely masculine, and immensely comforting scent -- something she'd always loved but that now, finally, she could enjoy without being teased for doing do. She had never imagined she would love just sitting with him like this so much, without worrying about his hands wandering where they didn't belong, but the way he was holding her, so tightly, so protectively...she felt loved. She felt wanted, and comfortable, and safe. She felt like she could sit there with him forever and never want to leave.

They fell silent, both smiling happily, just enjoying the company and the peaceful evening, with the wind rustling the trees (and ruffling her hair, ugh), the ocean waves rippling on the horizon, and the sun slowly sinking over the water. After a few minutes, Zelos reached for something beside him, then held up a container with some cookies. With a soft, "Thanks," Sheena took one and began nibbling on it -- _ooh, chocolate chip...delicious_ \-- and Zelos did the same, setting the container back down beside him.

Once finished, Sheena snuggled further into him, determined to enjoy every second of this lovely moment. "Mmm...I've missed this," she murmured.

"Missed what?" he asked.

"Eating outdoors, listening to the wind in the trees, being away from everyone and everything...it's so peaceful." Only a month had passed since their journey ended, but she hadn't realized before how much she'd enjoyed all the time they'd spent out in nature during it. It had seemed like a chore at times, those nights they'd had to forage for food and sleep out in the wild, but now...now she looked back on those memories with fondness. _You never realize what you have until it's gone_, she thought wistfully, suddenly wishing she'd taken more time during their journey to really appreciate those moments instead of trying to hurry them along so she could get back to her regular life. "It reminds me of the nights we camped outside during our journey."

Zelos chuckled softly. "What journey were _you_ on? What _I_ remember is Lloyd and Genis bickering over every little thing, Raine feeding us ridiculously awful scientific concoctions she claimed were food, Regal attempting to make small talk with Presea, who kept throwing random statistics back at him, and Colette being so happy that she always seemed on the verge of bursting into a show-stopping musical number."

"Your memory is apparently selective, because _you _participated in most of those arguments with Lloyd and Genis." Sheena poked his side. "In fact, I distinctly remember you _starting_ most of them."

A nostalgic smile crossed his face. "Yeah, I remember that, too. That was always fun. Good times." Suddenly, he gave her a wicked smile. "But I only did that when I didn't feel like pestering you and facing the Formidable, Furious, Flying Fists of Doom."

Sheena snorted and rolled her eyes -- but she blushed, too, remembering those moments when he apparently _had_ felt like it. She'd lost count of how many times Zelos had plopped himself down beside her, no matter what she was doing or how vehemently she insisted he should leave her alone and bother someone else if he was bored, and just started bugging her about absolutely nothing, or kept teasing her until she smacked him...or, sometimes, just sat and talked to her in a way that had disarmed her with its sheer _normalcy_, be it about their companions, their journey, the future, or something else, before he had, in the blink of an eye, reverted back into the Idiot Chosen, at which point she'd usually slugged him and stormed off in disgust. Those last times had always hurt the most, the ones that reminded her of the old friend she'd had who'd suddenly changed and then proved to be impossible to find again on a regular basis.

It was mind-boggling to consider how much had now changed between them, how his pretenses had fallen and how comfortable she felt sitting here, alone, on a _date_ with him -- and how she was having an amazing time, her reservations slowly being replaced by trust in him. Their journey would have been so much more enjoyable had they been like _this_ then. But while looking back on those times still hurt, Sheena did now understand why it was that way, and with every new moment of happiness they were creating, any remaining resentment she felt was fading further away. Zelos had gotten rid of that title -- well, not quite, but close enough -- and so they now _could_ enjoy this moment without worrying about a guillotine hanging over their heads, threatening their happiness. Well, it wasn't an issue on _his _end anymore. A guillotine still hung over their heads on _her_ end, assuming they didn't pull their heads out before it could kill this relationship...but right now she was having far too good of a time to seriously consider that yet.

"Whatever," she said, rolling her eyes and grinning as she pushed those thoughts away. "I still miss them, though."

His eyes narrowed as he observed her. "Those moments, or the gang?"

"Both, but especially our friends," she said. "I can't believe it's been a month already."

"Yeah, I know," he murmured. "I probably had an easier time with it because I was busy traveling with Seles for so long...but every now and then I find myself missing them, too. As incredible as that is." He chuckled and gave her a pointed look. "Although of them all, I missed you the most. By far."

She smiled wistfully, even as her heart skipped a beat. Zelos had mentioned that when they'd been discussing his trip, too, how much he'd missed her, and it still felt good to hear that now. And oh, had she missed him, too. But there was no need to dwell on that now that it was looking likely they wouldn't be losing touch anytime soon. "We'll never have those moments back, will we?"

"'Fraid not, sweetheart," he replied, mirroring her smile. "I can't imagine we won't all meet up again sometime, but it'll never be like that again. We can always go visit them, though. I know it's not the same, but it's still an option."

She nodded. Yes, it was. "Well, I'd think Regal and Presea would always be easy to find. I can't imagine Regal leaving Altamira or the Lezareno Company much or Presea leaving Ozette while they're rebuilding it."

"True, true," Zelos said. "As for Raine...well, who knows where she'll be? Maybe Iselia, maybe Exire, maybe Heimdall, maybe some ruins so she can hug some more rocks. Genis will probably either be in Sybak, if he decides to go to the Academy there like he was considering when Seles and I ran into him there last week, or somewhere else so he can show off his brains. Wherever they end up, though, I'm sure Lloyd and Colette will know about it."

"Probably, considering their history together." Sheena paused, her heart sinking. Yeah, and then there was Lloyd and Colette...and Iselia, the one place she dreaded thinking about. Her gaze fell to her knees. "Do you think Lloyd and Colette are in Iselia?"

She could feel Zelos watching her closely, but she couldn't meet his eyes. "I doubt it. Didn't Lloyd say they were going out Ex-Sphere hunting?"

...Oh, right. Yeah, Lloyd had mentioned that while they'd been dancing at that victory party, right before she'd been...distracted...by Zelos, and with it had come a pang of jealousy. That pang was far milder than it had been during their journey when she'd realized how much Lloyd loved Colette, but she'd still felt it. His choice had hurt -- at the time, she'd still wished he would've chosen _her _forhis traveling companion -- but...well, she'd reminded herself that Lloyd had never been hers (and really, she was embarrassed to admit now, her obsession with him might have actually been a subconscious attempt to make Zelos jealous for 'abandoning' their friendship all those years ago), and now, Lloyd's decision didn't hurt at all.

After all, if Lloyd _had_ chosen her, she never would have sought out Zelos that night...and she never would have discovered the truth about him. She never would have glimpsed the man hiding behind the mask; she never would have uncovered his secrets, that he was a tortured soul who just desired a normal life; she never would have found her long-lost friend again and realized how much he loved her...and how much she loved him. She would have missed out on all of this exhilaration of loving him and being loved by him in return. Instead, she would still be yearning over a naïve boy who never would have seen her the way she'd seen him. Even if Lloyd had traveled with her, his heart still would have been with Colette.

And while she couldn't help wondering what might have happened _had_ Lloyd sincerely returned her feelings...well, while the happiness she was currently feeling was _possible_ with him, it wasn't a guarantee -- because would Lloyd have done something as ridiculous yet sweet as carving her name into a peach? Or taken the time to point out exactly how beautiful she was to him and then made sure she believed him? Considering how clueless and easily bored Lloyd was, she doubted it. Besides, wondering about that now was a waste of time she _could_ be spending enjoying being with Zelos. Realizing her crush on Lloyd really was over now was strange, but she couldn't deny the _happiness_ she felt here with Zelos. Even if their relationship was ultimately doomed, she didn't regret this date, either, because she really was enjoying it. And in the long run, dating Lloyd wouldn't have ended any differently; so long as she was dating someone not from Mizuho, the guillotine would still always be hanging over their future together.

But again, Sheena shoved that thought aside, wanting only to enjoy this moment with Zelos. Besides, he'd asked her about Lloyd's plans. "Yeah, you're right, he did." Despite her wish to enjoy the moment, though, her heart sank further. So much for talking to Lloyd and Colette in Iselia about the king's message before she'd approached the other villagers. "So they won't be there, then," she whispered.

After a moment of watching her, Zelos cleared his throat. "So what does the king want you to do in Iselia?" Her eyes widened as she lifted her head and met his surprisingly serious blue eyes. Oh. She hadn't expected him to ask her that directly. Either she was transparent...or he knew her well enough to know that was bothering her. While she couldn't dismiss the former, the latter was more likely. He always had known when something was on her mind, sometimes even what it was before he'd approached her about it. And if he really had loved her for years...it was no wonder he knew her so well. "Whatever it was, Sheena, it upset you pretty badly," he pressed. "Maybe it would help to talk about it."

Sheena eyed him uncertainly. She _wanted _to talk to him about it and hear his opinion on the matter because he knew the king far better than she did...but she couldn't help thinking _right_ _now_ was a terribly inappropriate time for it. They were having a _picnic_, and headaches like that were no more invited than pesky mosquitoes were. "Zelos, I appreciate the offer, but we're on a _date_ \-- one I happen to be quite enjoying, by the way." His smile broadened, conveying his response: "_Me, too_." "This isn't something we should be discussing on a _date_."

He shrugged. "Maybe, but since you obviously keep going back to it, I suspect you'll never be able to relax enough tofully enjoy this date while it's still weighing on your mind. And in case you've forgotten, I'm in a rather unique position to be able to help you. Soon-to-be Ex-Chosen or not, for now I do still have the king's ear." She sat quietly a moment, considering it -- but still she hesitated, not wanting to upset him. He might be right about how he could help her, but they really _were_ on a date, and discussing work during a date was just _wrong_. But before she could say that, Zelos ran his thumb over her arm. "Besides, since when is anything about our relationship conventional? Seriously, Sheena, we helped save the world together, we've just started dating and yet we already know each other as well as many couples do after years of marriage, and, well, our relationship has always been rather...unique. I mean, how many couples do _you_ know who admitted they loved each other before their first date?"

She breathed in deeply, then slowly released it. Okay, so his logic was persuasive. "All good points."

Zelos nodded proudly. "So I say screw the conventional rules of dating. We can do whatever we want with this. Since we already know we don't fall under the 'standard' rules, who's to stop us from making up our own? In fact, maybe that would make this whole relationship thing less 'weird' for us both. Can you really deny the appeal of that?"

Sheena let out a soft laugh. _No rules can cage this man's spirit, can they? And if they try, he'll just toss them out and create new ones. He's so different from the man I've known all these years, and yet he's exactly the same._ "No."

He gave her a faint smile. "So if we want to talk business, then let's talk business. Okay?"

_All right, Zelos, you win. I'll talk_. She sighed and lowered her head to his shoulder again. At least she wouldn't be keeping this obnoxious _thing _to herself anymore. "Okay." She could feel him nod as he tightened his hold on her, giving her a moment to gather her thoughts. There was no good way to tell him this, though, so she might as well just say it. "The king wants me to go to Iselia and encourage them to submit to the Tethe'allan monarchy's rule."

Zelos sat silently a moment, absorbing that, but she could feel him tense an instant before his head turned sharply toward her. "Wait, _what_? Are you _serious_?"

She lifted her head from his shoulder and grinned wryly. "Unfortunately, yeah, I am."

He gaped at her, stunned, but suddenly sheer incredulousness erupted on his face. "Has the king _completely_ lost his mind?!"

Well, on the bright side, at least now she knew she wasn't overreacting; the proposition really was that bad. "Now you know why I'm so upset about it."

"Yeah, no kidding." He fell silent a moment, his face a mixture of shock and disgust. "Does he really think the Iselians -- or any other Sylvaranti towns, for that matter -- will just hand over their autonomy to him?"

"I don't know," Sheena said. "In his defense, it did take him five hours to decide that, and at one point he admitted he still wasn't sure about it. On the other hand, though, that really does seem to be his decision. He grilled me all afternoon about the Iselians' attitudes and leadership, and it was obvious he was trying to feel out how they'd respond, whether they'd accept his proposal or declare war on him."

His eyebrows flew upward. "And I'm assuming you told him there isn't a snowball's chance in Niflheim those people will bow down to a complete stranger, right?"

She nodded. Oh, yeah. She'd spent hours trying to convince the king of that. "Of course I did, in every possible way I could think of that wouldn't result in my being accused of treason. But Minister Giannovio -- who I'm pretty sure planted the idea in the king's head in the first place considering how defensive he was about it -- kept insisting it was the only option."

"Yeah, of _course_ he did," Zelos muttered, rolling his eyes. "That sounds exactly like Giannovio, to make an idiotic, shortsighted declaration like that without considering the Iselians' position first. He lost all my respect when he started supporting the Pope's efforts to blame half elves for every little thing that went wrong -- because _hello_? My sister is a half elf, and other than being an annoying, stuck up little brat, she's never so much as hurt a fly, let alone conspired to overthrow the monarchy. I've always had trouble resisting the urge to throttle him whenever he talked about other races. That man really shouldn't be foreign minister; I'm not even convinced he's ever set foot outside of Meltokio."

"I'd believe that considering how he talked about the Iselians as if he knew them all personally, even though he got every detail wrong -- and then he tried to make it look like _I_ was the one who was wrong about them," she said. "How does someone so unqualified reach such a high position anyway?"

"Status, lineage, and a whole lot of money," Zelos said, his voice dripping sarcasm and disgust. "Oh, and a lack of actual travel experience on the king's part, meaning he's never seen firsthand how his people really live; all he hears is what that idiot tells him."

Sheena rolled her eyes. That, unfortunately, explained way too much. "So how do we get rid of him?"

He gave her a wry grin. "Believe me, sweetheart, I've spent years pointing out how incompetent he is, but his 'donations' to the monarchy have sealed his place there, at least until he manages to cook his own goose. Unfortunately, my hands are tied beyond that. If I could've gotten rid of him myself, I would have. All we can hope is that if this Iselia thing backfires, the responsibility falls on him and the king finally sees how much of a threat he is. I mean, one of these days someone that stupid _has_ to mess up badly enough to get himself fired. Maybe this will be the straw that finally breaks the camel's back."

"I hope so," she muttered. The thought of having to do her job as an emissary with that moron constantly breathing down her neck and planting terrible ideas in the king's head made her want to hide in Mizuho to avoid her responsibilities. Assuming Minister Giannovio wouldn't convince the king to send an army to find Mizuho and destroy it to punish her, of course. He'd made it clear how unhappy he was about having a ninja in Tethe'alla's court. "I mean, can you imagine how the Iselians will react to this? _'Hi, nice to meet you, I'm the emissary of peace from the King of Tethe'alla -- and oh, by the way, he wants you to give up all control over your own village and hand it over to him, effective immediately'_?"

"Yeah, no kidding," Zelos replied, snorting softly. "That would be a prime example of how _not_ to make friends and influence enemies."

The whole thing was ridiculous -- and the worst part was that she'd tried _everything_ to talk the king out of it, and her efforts had just resulted in Giannovio using her reluctance to point out how 'unqualified' she was for this job. "Unfortunately, I think it's more likely when I announce that Iselia rejected the proposal -- because they will, and we know it -- Minister Giannovio will use that to blame me and have me removed from my position. He might even have me punished. The few times I talked to him alone while they were training me, he made it clear he has little tolerance for ninjas."

A glance at Zelos showed his face had grown surprisingly cold. "Yeah, I know. He made that clear to me after I convinced the king to pick you for the job, too. Of course, while I'm sure he doesn't like ninjas, either, he's primarily just pissed because he wanted his _son_ to be the emissary, only the king agreed with me and gave _you_ the position instead. But Giannovio won't touch you, Sheena. He can't, not as long as I'm watching your back. I still have some say in the matter, and I will as long as I'm the Chosen." He looked her in the eye, his determination obvious. "I won't let anything happen to you, or to Mizuho."

Despite her uneasiness with the situation -- she hadn't known that about Giannovio's son -- Sheena still smiled, touched. She didn't need Zelos's protection normally, she never would have asked for it, and she hated accepting it, but in this kind of touchy political situation, with a crazy, bitter foreign minister involved, she was glad she had it. Like it or not, Zelos had clout with the king she never would simply because of who he was. And the last thing she wanted was to inadvertently say something wrong that backfired against her people. Plenty of tension still lingered between Mizuho and Meltokio, and knowing Zelos was watching out for her, making sure it didn't get worse, was an immense relief.

"I know," she whispered, resting her head on his shoulder again. "Thanks."

"Of course." His grasp on her tightened. "Now I feel bad for recommending you for the position, though; I didn't realize Giannovio would be _that_ much of a pain in the ass. If I had...."

"Hey, don't worry about it," Sheena said. "You couldn't have known what he'd do. I'm just flattered you thought I was capable of doing this. And this really is a good way to start rebuilding trust between Mizuho and the king, so I just have to do it, even if it means dealing with idiots like Minister Giannovio."

Zelos was silent a long moment, thinking everything through, but then he sighed. "I think I know why the king agreed to this. In fact, it's probably my fault."

Her eyes narrowed and she lifted her head so she could see his face. "What do you mean?"

"Well, I didn't advise him to do _this_, obviously, but I _was_ the one who gave him the maps and pointed out how interspersed both worlds' towns are now." His eyes snapped sharply to hers. "How much traveling have you done lately?"

"Not much, basically just back and forth between Mizuho and Meltokio for emissary training. I made one trip to Iselia to deliver a letter, but that's it." Her gaze lowered. "I've actually missed traveling like that."

"Yeah, I bet you have," Zelos replied, giving her a brief smile, but then he nodded thoughtfully. "So you haven't seen the world's new layout, have you? Did the king show you my maps?"

Sheena shook her head. "No. But Minister Giannovio had obviously memorized them because he kept referring to them."

"...Of _course_ he did," Zelos muttered. "Has to make himself look credible somehow. Anyway, I kept a copy of those maps for myself, so remind me to show you them later. To sum it up, though, some of the Sylvaranti towns ended up right in the middle of Tethe'allan territory, and I can foresee...issues...arising regarding who controls natural resources, farmland, trade routes, etcetera, especially now that the Sylvaranti are living in a thriving world again and will probably want to expand their borders. They're two very different people who didn't even know the other existed before this, so suddenly throwing them together will probably lead to chaos for awhile. It makes sense the king would consider this option, especially if he's afraid his rule will be weakened with the Sylvaranti towns in his way...but actually _proposing _it to the Iselians? No, I'm with you. They'll never go for it, and the very suggestion will probably damage their respect for Tethe'alla. I mean, we both saw how Iselia treated its own people, and then having strangers approach them with _this_? Talk about a disaster in the making."

...Yeah, no kidding. And therein lay another of her greatest fears: being caught between two people who didn't trust each other and, in her lack of diplomatic experience, accidentally starting an all-out war. "So how do I talk him out of it?" Oh, was she glad Zelos was back now; he knew the Meltokian political landscape far better than she did. "I tried everything I could think of."

"I'm sure you did, Sheena...but I'm not sure you'll be able to, not with Minister Giannovio feeding him such stupid advice." He paused, his brows furrowing. "_I_ might be able to, though. I mean, like I said, I do still have the king's ear and all the powers of the Chosen. In fact, not to sound egotistical or anything, but I'm surprised he decided that much withoutconsulting me first since he knows damn well I've been to Iselia, too." His voice lowered. "And yet I didn't even know he was considering this. Huh."

Sheena looked at him curiously, surprised by his perplexed his expression. "What is it?"

Zelos frowned and shook his head. "I'm not sure yet, but I can't help thinking this is an indication he's starting to pull away from me now that he knows I won't be the Chosen much longer. You know, quit running things like this by me first."

Her eyes narrowed. She'd expected him to be thrilled about that, but he definitely wasn't _happy_. He looked more confused than anything, actually. "But isn't that what you wanted? To get rid of the duties and responsibilities of the Chosen?"

His eyes darted at her, but his frown deepened. "I guess that's the question, isn't it? It _should_ be what I want, and it is, I guess, but...I'm not sure how I feel about it actually happening yet." He paused another moment. "Maybe this isn't the best time to be getting rid of my responsibilities yet. If the king is going to make decisions like this without asking my opinion first...well, maybe I can still help everyone out. Y'know, influence him, play devil's advocate, and point out things he just may not know."

Sheena could barely believe her ears. "Are you saying you'd consider retaining the powers of the Chosen so you could help the Sylvaranti?"

"Well, not just them, but the half elves and the dwarves and...hell, your people, too, especially with idiots like Giannovio around who hate everyone 'different' from him," Zelos said. "There's going to be a lot of upheaval as we figure out how this new world will work, and I doubt all interest groups will have a say of their own. At least I've had firsthand experience with them and know how they think. And wouldn't it be in everyone's best interests to have someone willing to stand up for them until everything is ironed out? Y'know, so those 'interest groups' don't feel threatened and declare war on us?" For a moment, Sheena just gaped at him, but finally he quirked an eyebrow and gave her a hesitant, uncertain smile. "...What?"

Was he _serious_? That...was incredible. She'd never believed she would hear him using that kind of reasoning, not after he'd expressed such hatred for his responsibilities and insisted he wanted a fun, easy life -- although, granted, she couldn't forget he'd said he wanted to fix up their world and eliminate segregation and discrimination, too. "Wow," she said, shaking her head in amazement. "Who are you and what have you done with Zelos Wilder?"

Sheena could have sworn there was a blush on his face as he let out a soft, embarrassed laugh and looked away from her. "Heh. That out of character for me, eh?"

She smirked and nudged him with her elbow. "Well, you have to admit, you're usually more concerned with what _you_ can get out of something rather than how you can help _others_ get something."

Zelos grinned. "Yeah, I know. Tell me about it. _I'm_ not even sure why I'm thinking like this. And to be honest, I'm still not sure it's what I really want. But I do know I should give it serious thought before it's too late; right now, I could still make it clear to the king I'm not stepping aside yet. Once I've given up my power as the Chosen, I'll never get it back. So if I can still help out some people before that happens...maybe I should. I mean, that _is_ what a 'good person' would do, isn't it?"

...And just like that, Sheena melted, his knowing grin harkening back to her own words to him at the Tower of Salvation. Wow. He really had taken that to heart, hadn't he? She almost couldn't believe it, that he would consider retaining something he'd hated so much that he'd nearly sacrificed his life to escape it, all because he wanted to be that 'good person' she'd always believed him to be. It was unbelievable, incredible, beautiful...and it made her love him more than she'd ever dreamed possible. He could have gone either way that day, either good or evil, and he'd chosen good because his friends had expressed their faith in him -- something only a truly 'good person' would have cared enough about to do.

Sheena grinned and leaned into him in as close to a hug as she could manage given their current position. "Yeah, it is. It's _exactly_ what a 'good person' would do."

He pressed a tender kiss to her temple. "I thought so, too. And besides, I'm the one who got you sucked into this mess. Running away now would mean abandoning you to deal with all that crap on your own. I may be a bastard more often than I'm not, but I do know if I did that to you, I'd never be able to look at myself in a mirror again. So for now, I'll stick around and see how I can help."

Oh, Zelos. "Thank you," she said, giving him a warm smile that he returned -- a sincere one, too, she could tell, since it was reflected in his eyes. And suddenly, she couldn't help the thought that popped into her mind. She didn't know how he'd react to it, but how could it hurt to plant the idea in his head? "You know, if we could get rid of Minister Giannovio, you would make a great foreign minister."

Instantly, his smile vanished and his eyes widened. "Really?"

Sheena nodded. "You're smart, you have experience dealing with people outside Meltokio, you're well-liked by the common people, you're empathetic to those who are 'different,' the king already respects and trusts you...wouldn't those make for a good foreign minister?"

Zelos blinked several times. Her suggestion had clearly surprised him, but she could see it: he wasn't dismissing it yet, either. Good. Because he really _would_ fit nicely into that role. _And_ it would be a 'legitimate job' to keep him busy rather than, oh, flirting for handouts. "Huh. When you put it that way, I might just have to consider it. I guess it would make sense. I mean, my sister is a half elf, my girlfriend's a ninja, some of my best friends ever are from Sylvarant, and my bud's adopted father is a dwarf. Of course, we'd need to get rid of the current foreign minister first...."

She chuckled at the smirk he shot her. "Well, yeah, but you're creative. And opportunistic. I'm sure you'll figure out something."

He let out a soft laugh and tilted his head in acknowledgement. "That, or we wait for him to hang himself; it's bound to happen sometime, especially if he feels pressured to prove himself against more qualified people like you. In any case, while I'm not sure about the whole 'adding to my responsibilities' thing yet, I _will _definitely talk to the king about Iselia. You said you're meeting with him again tomorrow, right?" She nodded. "Then I'll come with you. If we're lucky, he'll have changed his mind overnight, and if he hasn't, I'll try to talk him out of it."

"And if you can't?" she asked -- because judging from the king's reactions earlier, she doubted even Zelos could do that, especially if Minister Giannovio showed up again as he'd promised he would.

"It's a definite possibility," he murmured, but then he cleared his throat. "Okay, so if he still insists on proposing it to them, despite how it could destroy all hope for peace and cooperation with them, then I'll come with you." He quickly pointed at her. "Not to try to do your job, mind you, because I know you can handle this on your own, and I know you need to establish yourself as _the _Tethe'allan emissary, but to, y'know, make sure they don't lynch you or something. Well, that and to provide moral support." He quirked a smile. "Besides, now that I'm back in town, it's not like I have anything else pressing to do."

And there, again, was that sweet, thoughtful side to him that melted her heart every time she saw it. This man was far more giving and considerate than he gave himself credit for, and suddenly Sheena wanted to prove to him that even though he'd made some bad choices in the past, he wasn't a 'bastard,' and he wasn't bound by those choices anymore. This was a new world for all of them, Zelos included, and with it came a fresh start. She would have to work on that, try to help him see the goodness in himself that she was now seeing with alarming clarity.

Sheena returned his smile. "Well, while I seriously doubt I'd need a bodyguard since lynching me would mean starting an international incident Iselia would have no hope of surviving, I'd never turn down the company."

His eyes widened -- probably in shock that she wasn't telling him 'no,' she figured. "Really?"

Her smile broadened. _No, Zelos, no arm twisting required this time. _"Really."

Instantly, Zelos's grin returned, the sparkle of happiness in his eyes so endearing that she suddenly wanted to kiss him again, if only her lips could currently reach his. "Great! Then that's settled. Besides, it would be good to travel together again, especially now that we're on, you know, non-murderous terms."

"Yeah, it would," she murmured, blushing and leaning into him again. The thought of traveling with him again, of getting to know the real him better now that he was letting her see beneath the mask, really was appealing. In fact, she was actually torn about whether she _wanted_ Zelos to convince the king to drop Minister Giannovio's stupid plan so she didn't have to deal with this stupidity, or if she wanted his attempt to fail so they _could_ travel together again. "Thanks for the offer, Zelos."

"No problem, sweetheart. We'll just have to see how things go tomorrow." He pressed another kiss to the top of her head, sending even more warmth and love through her and leaving her wishing, again, that they could sit like that forever. "So, feeling a little better?" he asked.

She smiled and nodded. "Much, thank you. I really do appreciate it."

"You're welcome." His lips lingered against her skin a moment, his fingers gently stroking her arm. "Of course, you still feel pretty tense...."

Yeah, she was. His offer to help was a huge relief, and it had alleviated her dismay and dread significantly, but the issue _was_ stillan issue, and it would continue lurking in her mind, a constant fear of what was yet to come, until the situation was squared away for good. "Well, it's not like I'm looking forward to this yet. And before tonight, my day _was_ pretty rotten. I mean, I'm really enjoying this, Zelos, and there's nowhere else I'd rather be right now, but unwinding after the rest of that is hard."

"Been there, done that," he murmured, but then he cleared his throat. "Well, I know _one_ way to help you relax."

Instantly, Sheena stiffened, then slowly lifted her head to look at him. Uh oh. His voice might sound neutral, but he was smirking, too, which never boded well. Zelos had offered to 'relax' her numerous times before, and his method of doing so had always been clear. Of course, his voice really _had_ been neutral just now, not seductive, so maybe she should reserve judgment a little longer. "And how's that?"

His smirk broadened further, and he pulled his arm from around her back. "Take off your robe, lay down on your stomach, and I'll show you."

Full-blown warnings began blaring in her head. Zelos was trying to seduce her. And he'd been doing so _well_ tonight, too, keeping his hands to himself and keeping his flirting harmless. But now, asking her to disrobe and lay down like that? That went way beyond flirting. Her heart plummeted. Damn it, hadn't she made it clear that even if she wanted sex, it wasn't an option for her? At the time, he'd seemed to get the message and accept it, but now...apparently the temptation was just too strong to resist.

Sheena was simultaneously saddened to see his ulterior motive shining through, relieved that she now had a legitimate reason to break off their relationship, angry at him for giving her the impression he'd accepted that aspect of dating her, and angry at _herself_ for not recognizing he'd never be able to accept this so she could have ended it before she'd had such a great time tonight, thus making breaking up with him that much more painful. She should have known better. That was why her people discouraged relationships with outsiders: because outsiders just couldn't accept their ways. She wasn't mad at Zelos for having hormones or for growing up in a culture that viewed sex differently from hers, but she _was_ mad that he hadn't just told her his expectations. If dating someone without having sex with them really wasn't possible for him, why hadn't he just _said_ that? How much could he really love her if he was pushing for something he knew she couldn't give him? Actions spoke infinitely louder than words.

Her body tensed further as she watched him warily, readying herself to spring up and either retreat from him or beat him up if necessary. "What are you scheming now, Zelos?"

His eyes widened, his smirk faltered, and he lifted his hands in a show of innocence. "Nothing bad, Sheena, I promise."

Her eyes narrowed further -- he _seemed_ to mean that, but she'd been duped by him far too many times to be convinced yet -- but she just watched him, looking for a sign of the game he was playing with her. She wanted to believe him, that he loved her, respected her boundaries, and had good intentions toward her, but history had proven she couldn't trust him when it came to sex. Sure, she now knew he'd never been serious about it before -- well, she _thought_ she knew that, although it wasn't like she had any proof he'd told her the truth about his lack of a sexual history that night at the party -- but she just...she didn't _know_ that he wouldn't make a move on her now.

If she was really being honest with herself, she'd expected this -- he was _Zelos_,after all, and sexuality was an inseparable part of his image -- but she'd just...she'd hoped it wouldn't happen, and if it did, not _tonight_, when she'd been having such a nice time with him. Because now...now she'd have to break up with him, trek back to Meltokio in the dark, retrieve her stuff from his mansion, and then have to deal with the king and Minister Giannovio alone because she was afraid accepting his help would mean indebting herself to him...and chances were he'd insist she pay him back in a way she just _couldn't_.

When she hesitated, eyeing him closely, Zelos's face fell further, and finally he released a low sigh. Part of her thought he looked sad, but her wariness refused to let her consider that for fear of being sucked into something against her better judgment. A moment later, he closed his eyes, nodded to himself, and then looked up at her, his face surprisingly somber and determined. "Well, I wasn't expecting to have this conversation yet, but it was bound to come up eventually so I guess now is as good a time as any."

...Wait, what? Confusion joined her wariness, anger, and disappointment. "What are you talking about?" she asked, pulling away from him a little further, just in case he _did_ try something.

With another soft sigh, Zelos turned to face her and bent his legs so his arms could rest on his knees. Taking the hint, Sheena drew her legs up to her chest, wrapping her arms around them, her heart racing. She wasn't sure what he was doing, but the fact that he _hadn't _tried anything yet calmed her somewhat -- as did his serious expression as he began speaking again. "All right. I know how this looks, and I know why you're jumping to the conclusion you are. And really, I can't blame you for not trusting me. I know my reputation is in no way honorable, and I know, considering how incessantly I've always hit on you, that you have no way to know my true intentions. And I'm sorry you have to question that. That's why I'm going to make you a promise right here, right now, one I want you to hold me to, and if I don't keep it, I give you full permission to resort to any extreme torture methods you deem appropriate to punish me."

Confusion was now outweighing the other emotions. He...he seemed to be completely serious about this. Where was the 'game' she was expecting from him? "Zelos, what...what are you talking about?" she ventured.

He breathed in deeply, then slowly released it and met her eyes. "Sheena, I will never make you do anything you don't want to do. I will never pressure you for sex or for anything beyond what you're ready for or are capable of doing. If you're ever interested in exploring other options, we'll discuss it, but if not, I won't try anything funny with you. I mean that. However long it takes, I'll wait. A month, a year, more...if you aren't comfortable doing anything knowing what your village would do to you, then we won't do anything. I'm leaving this entirely up to you. And if you're _never_ ready for it, then I'm okay with that, too. Not necessarily _happy_ about it, and I can't guarantee I won't eventually regret this, but the ball is in your court." His eyebrows rose pointedly. "Now, don't misunderstand me: this doesn't mean I don't want you, because Martel knows how much I do, and I have to warn you there's no chance I'll ever be able to stop myself from hitting on you, but it will never go beyond that. _Never_, not seriously." He leaned forward, grabbed her hand, and squeezed it. "I promise."

Instantly, all wariness, hurt, and anger fled her, and her eyes widened. He...oh, Jizou, he was serious. He was looking directly at her, his face somber, with no hint of deception in his eyes. Sheena almost couldn't believe her ears. Their cultures were complete opposites regarding sex -- and yes, he was right that Mizuho's restrictions probably were unnecessary, but succumbing to temptation with him really would mean her death -- but yet here he was, saying he understood this. More than that, he was saying he wouldn't pressure her for any 'other' forms of sex, either, something she sincerely did appreciate, because considering the fiery ache she'd felt during a few of their kisses, she suspected those 'other forms' would never be enough. And Heaven help her, she believed him.

Seeing Zelos this serious and determined, Sheena almost felt guilty for jumping to the conclusion she just had...but she still couldn't help thinking her concern had been warranted, too. She truly hadn't known his intentions before this -- and she was extremely glad he now _had_ spelled out his thoughts on this matter. She could feel herself blushing again, uncomfortable talking about sex this openly when it related to her and to _them_, but, surprisingly, she wasn't embarrassed about it, either. In fact, she was touched. Did Zelos really love her so much that he would willingly deny himself something he'd now admitted he wanted? He could have any woman he wanted, especially now that the Church couldn't punish anyone for sleeping with him, and yet he was choosing to be with her, even knowing sex wasn't a possibility?

And just like that, she suddenly wanted to throw all caution to the wind, forget about Mizuho, surrender to the fire she felt when she kissed him, and give him what he wanted, what she was embarrassed to realize _she_ wanted, but she couldn't -- and not just because Mizuho forbade pre-marital sex, but because there _was_ no future for 'them.' Once she became chief, their 'future' together would be cut short. That was why starting a sexual relationship with him, of any kind, would be sadistic, especially if Zelos really did love her as much as he seemed to. And one thing she knew was that she loved him too much to hurt him like that, so she wouldn't.

But still, that was in the distant future, and this was now, and Zelos had just made her this incredible promise that took all pressure off of her. Sheena bit her lip, squeezed his hand, and gave him a shy smile, tears of love and gratitude pricking her eyes. "Thank you."

Zelos nodded and returned her smile, but he quickly grew serious again as he leaned closer to her. "In return, though, Sheena, I need _you_ to do something for _me_."

Her eyes widened and her smile vanished. Uh oh. She should have known there would be a catch...but then, after what he'd just promised her, what kind of 'catch' could it really be? Asking her for sexual favors would defeat his entire point. "What?"

He squeezed her hand tighter, his face still frighteningly serious. "Don't tease me. Don't lead me on or start something you're not ready to finish. Please. I have a lot more restraint resisting women's advances than people think I do, but when it comes to you, it's only about a quarter of that. I'll keep my hands to myself and behave, I promise, but please, don't test my restraint. This will be hard enough for me to hold to under normal circumstances, but if you teased me in addition to that...well, I really don't want to think what I might end up doing. Because the truth is, Sheena, while I've met a lot of attractive women over the years, I've never felt anything for them like I do for you. You are the only woman I have ever truly wanted. Far more now than ever before."

Her blush flared and her eyes widened further. Oh, Jizou. She'd had no idea he felt that way about her; seeing someone as 'beautiful' was different than being physically attracted to them. And the sheer honesty he was showing her, admitting his vulnerabilities and fears and pointing out the power she had over him...it was surreal, and yet she couldn't deny his earnestness. She could see it in his eyes: he would see this through, but only with her help. And the fact that he trusted her enough to ask her this, something she couldn't imagine him asking anyone else...she was floored and touched, deeply. The whole subject may be awkward, especially now that she knew he really did..._want_...her like that, but she appreciated his honesty. And to that end...how could she _not_ agree to it?

Sheena squeezed his hand tenderly and nodded. "Okay. I won't."

Instantly, his smile returned and he visibly relaxed. "Thank you."

She mirrored his smile, but it quickly faltered. Now _she_ needed to tell _him_ something. "You, um, you'll have to warn me if I'm doing something I shouldn't be, though. I...." She let out a soft, nervous laugh, her gaze falling to their joined hands. "I'm not used to being in a relationship like this yet."

Zelos nodded, still smiling softly. "I know. And don't worry, I'll speak up if I think something could become a problem." Without warning, his smile transformed into a goofy, awkward grin. "Just tell me if this thing between us really does work out, that one day you could want me, too. Not that, you know, you find me physically repulsive or something."

Her eyes widened. Had he really just said that? Was he, Mr. Ego, Mr. _I Am Beautiful And Don't You Dare Scar My Pretty Face!_, really not sure she was attracted to him? Sheena couldn't imagine him saying anything if he was sure of her answer, but obviously he _wasn't_ sure because he _had_ asked her -- and he looked surprisingly nervous about it, too. He was doing a good job concealing it, but the way he was biting his lip indicated he was afraid of her answer. The whole thing was preposterous; Zelos really was a gorgeous man -- his face, his physique, his incredible red hair, _all_ of him -- and Sheena was certain most other women had not only _thought_ that, but had _told_ him so.

And as for being attracted to him...her blush deepened. Oh, yeah, she was. She'd recognized years ago how attractive he was. She had _never_ felt like this about any other man, actually, not even during her Lloyd-crush phase, someone she felt physically drawn to touch and kiss and hold and, yes, do even more than that with. Before this, her problem with him, the thing that had turned that attraction into annoyance, had been his obnoxious, arrogant, philandering attitude, but now...now that wasn't a problem anymore. No, now the sole problem was their nonexistent future together -- but again, she viciously shoved that thought aside. Even though tonight had gone beautifully and she'd fallen even harder for him with every new thing he did, 'they' would still most likely drift apart before that other future could become imminent. At least, she hoped they would. Because if they didn't, the end would hurt them both very, very badly.

But right now that future wasn't imminent, and Zelos had asked her for reassurance she _could_ give him. She gave him another shy, embarrassed smile. "Of course you're not...and of course I do. You...you're...."

Her voice trailed off as she struggled to articulate her feelings. After watching her a moment with curious hopefulness, Zelos beamed her a crooked grin. "I know, I'm dead sexy, right?"

...And there was the Idiot Chosen. Sheena rolled her eyes...but the uncertainty on his face took her aback. In fact, she received the distinct impression he'd only said that because he'd figured a stupid response would give her an easy 'out' to this whole thing. And again, she was astounded to find not only that Zelos had been serious about letting her see the real him, but that he struggled with some pretty strong insecurities about himself. He was still trying to hide them, maybe intentionally, maybe not, but now that she knew what to look for, the truth was easy to spot. In the past, she would have smacked him for making a comment like that, and he probably expected her to do so now -- but she could see it in his eyes: he truly wasn't sure why she'd always smacked him before, whether it was because of his attitude or because she _didn't_ see him like that and was expressing her disagreement with his assessment through physical violence.

Well, that much she could clear up for him. "Idiot," she muttered, but then she sighed, her face growing even warmer. She was reluctant to say this, because saying things like this was still weird, but Zelos needed to hear this, shockingly enough, and so he would. "But actually...yeah, you are."

To her relief, Zelos didn't respond with a stupid, cocky, "_Hoo, yeah, Sheena thinks I'm sexy!_" comment. Instead, he just looked at her, his eyebrows rising in obvious surprise, and then offered her a pleased smile. "Then that's all I need to hear. Until you're ready -- _if_ you're ever ready -- I'll wait patiently. Because when you _are _ready, Sheena...it'll be worth it."

Oh, Zelos. Sheena didn't have the heart to tell him the likelihood of that ever happening, short of her being released from her obligation to become Mizuho's chief or her saying _"Screw this"_ to Mizuho, was slim to none, so she didn't. The simple fact that he was doing this at all meant the world to her. Sure, she had no guarantee he wouldn't go back on his promise, because words really were one thing and actions were another, but she believed him, that his heart truly was in the right place.

Right or wrong, smart or stupid, she was trusting him far more than she'd dreamed possible; his willingness to do things like _this _for her was making her fall dangerously hard for him. She shouldn't be letting that happen, but she couldn't help it. She _wanted_ to give him her heart. She wanted to ignore the problems that awaited them if their relationship continued and embrace and nurture this love growing within her for him. She wanted to hear him laugh and make him happy again; she wanted to love him and be loved by him in return. And she would.

Climbing onto her knees, Sheena crawled forward and straddled his legs, his blue eyes widening and his hands gently going to her waist to steady her. Once settled, she gently cupped his face and gave him a long, slow, tender kiss before pulling back and quirking an eyebrow at him. "Is that okay?"

The stunned awe on his face made her smile, and after a moment he grinned and lightly touched her cheek. "Definitely. You can do _that_ anytime you want."

Her smile broadened, and she gave him another quick kiss before wrapping her arms around him. Zelos immediately returned the hug, burying his face against her neck, his breath warm against her skin, sending shivers down her spine. "That's probably the sweetest, most selfless thing anyone's ever done for me," she murmured, holding him tightly to her. "Thank you, Zelos. I know that's not easy for you, but I really do appreciate it."

He was still smiling when she finally pulled away again, and he gently brushed her hair back behind her shoulders. "As much as I may want you, Sheena -- because any heterosexual male with decent eyesight and normal hormone levels would -- I know you can't, and the truth is, I want you to trust me and feel safe with me even more than I want that. If I have to sacrifice sex to make that happen, I will."

_Then that mission, too, is accomplished, Zelos, because I do. Oh, how I do_. Sheena swallowed hard and bit her lip, then she gave him a soft, shy smile. "I love you, Zelos."

His smile broadened into a happy grin, his eyes shining with unbridled love. "I will never tire of hearing that." He pressed another kiss to her lips. "I love you, too, Sheena."

He wasn't the only one who loved hearing those words. In fact, those words, especially when coupled with such tenderness and certainty, made her want to forget about Mizuho and run away with him to Heaven only knew where so reality could never disrupt this beauty. Squeezing her eyes shut, Sheena gave him another hug, just enjoying feeling so safe, warm, and loved in his arms. It amazed her how much more comfortable she already felt with this whole thing than she had mere hours ago. Being there with him, the infamous, perverted, idiotic _Zelos Wilder,_ was still a little too weird and new for her to fully accept yet, but she was getting there. And she liked it, a lot. This whole thing, this whole night...it felt _right, _and that rightness was slowly but surely wearing down her remaining fears and defenses. And oh, was she glad it was, because she _wanted_ to enjoy this lovely, hopeful moment with him -- and considering how stubbornly Zelos had fought to overcome every obstacle that had arisen tonight, he did, too.

For a moment, they just sat there, enjoying the warm, loving embrace, but finally his hands slid down to her waist and, taking the hint, she pulled back to see his face again. "So now that we've cleared that up, if I ask you again to take off your robe and lie down on your stomach, would you trust me enough not to molest you to do so?" he asked, his eyebrows rising.

Sheena considered that a moment -- it still sounded dangerous, especially now that she thought she knew what he had in mind -- but she quickly reminded herself that he'd never be able to prove his good intentions unless she let him, and this was a good opportunity to do that. Taking a deep breath, she nodded. "Okay. I'd still like to know exactly what you're planning, but...."

"You'll figure it out," he said, grinning as she climbed off of him and began untying her robe, forcing herself to keep going even when embarrassment threatened to still her hands. Zelos watched her a moment -- but then, to her surprise, he politely averted his eyes and began pulling off his gloves. "Trust me, sweetheart, you're going to love this."

Biting her lip, she watched him toss his gloves aside before turning around and slipping off her robe, thankful for the shirt left underneath. She then knelt on the ground, bunched up the robe, and laid down on her stomach, her arms clutching the robe like a pillow. She could hear Zelos shift closer to her...and her suspicions were confirmed the second his warm fingers touched her back, so lightly, so gently, that it made her gasp. Yep, this was why his suggestion had set off her mental alarms, not only because it meant he'd be touching her, something easy to take advantage of, but because his hands felt so good that she suspected her ability to resist him would have been decimated. Now, though, she thought she could actually relax and enjoy this without worrying he'd get any ideas...and a moment later she gasped again as he began working on a knot in her upper back. Yeah, she would enjoy this. Zelos knew what he was doing...and oh, did it feel good. And then, without warning, it felt a thousand times better as a strange tingling sensation traveled through her...oh, _Jizou_, that felt _heavenly_. Sheena tried to bite back her moan but failed -- miserably.

The idiot had the gall to _snicker_. His hands stilled and he leaned down closer to her face. "Careful, love, or I'll have to stop."

...And there was _no way_ she could allow _that_. "If you do that, I _will _have to kill you, you know," she muttered, an eye popping open to look at him.

He smirked. "You do realize how much I want to do _inappropriate_ things to you right now, don't you?"

Sheena arched a challenging eyebrow at him. "And what you're doing to me right now _isn't_?"

"I guess that depends on your definition of 'inappropriate,'" he said, chuckling. "But if you insist this is, then I guess I'm done here, eh?"

...Yep, she was going to kill him. "That's not funny. If _I'm_ not allowed to tease _you_, then _you_ aren't allowed to tease _me_, either."

His eyebrows rose. "So do you want me to continue or not?"

Ugh, she really was dating an idiot. He had _offered_ to do this for her, and now, when she'd realized how much she liked it, he was threatening to _quit_? It was too bad she loved him too much to actually kill him. "What do _you_ think?"

An infuriating sparkle lit his eyes as he moved his lips to her ear. "_I_ think I would very much _like _to continue, but only if I can rest assured my girlfriend won't tempt me to do _inappropriate _things to her by making any more _dangerous _sounds. Believe me, babe, moans like those are music to my ears, but they're also an overly effective resolve killer."

Instantly, her eyes widened and her face flared. "O...oh." She gave him an awkward smile. So that was what this was about. Heh. And here she'd thought he was just being difficult. She just wasn't used to anyone being sincerely..._turned on_...by her like this yet. "S...sorry. I didn't mean to. It just felt...incredible."

"Yeah, I know," he said, still grinning as he resumed his earlier position and began working on her back again. "It would be better with oil, but eh, I've done without before -- and you're definitely not the first woman who's told me how good it feels."

...Yeah, she'd suspected as much. He wouldn't be so good at this if he hadn't practiced before -- even if the reminder of how many women he'd dated before her made her heart sink a little. But still...Colette had given her a backrub once after a particularly strenuous battle, and it had felt nice, but nothing like this. Zelos had to be doing more than just kneading her back. "What...what _is_ that?" she said, struggling not to make any more suggestive sounds. The warmth and tingling was slowly spreading from her back through the rest of her body. "That's more than just a massage, isn't it?"

"Heh," he said, and she could just hear the grin in his voice. "That would be _my_ little secret."

Sheena's brows furrowed and she closed her eyes, concentrating on the incredible sensations. It actually felt somewhat familiar, but she _knew _she'd never let him do this to her before, so where...? Without warning, her eyes flew open. "Are you...oh, wow...are you using _healing stream_ on me?"

"A mild form of it, yep," he said. "It makes up for the lack of oil. Although apparently the oil in addition to the spell makes it completely irresistible."

Now _that _she'd believe. One day she'd have to ask him to give her a massage with both. She chuckled, her eyes sliding shut again. "I guess your little _secret _isn't so secret anymore, is it?"

"Yeah, well, that's because this isn't the first time I've used it on you." His left hand lifted from her, and she opened an eye in time to see him point at her. "Just no telling my hunnies that."

"I wouldn't dream of it...but why not?" she asked, turning her head so she could see him, but his only response was a soft, "Heh." She closed her eyes again, reveling in the sensations, but he'd piqued her curiosity now. "Zelos?"

He was silent another moment before answering. "Let's just say this was my way of tricking my hunnies into thinking we'd done more than just fool around a little on a date. Or, if they were still conscious afterwards, leave them not caring if we didn't do anything else."

Her eyes popped open again, and she propped her head up to look at him. "Are you _serious_? All you did was give them a back rub and they thought you'd actually had sex?"

His eyebrows flew upward. "Give me another minute and see if you still doubt me."

Sheena eyed him a moment warily, but then she laid back down again as he resumed his work. "Well, I can't deny you're really good at this, but...oh, Jizou, that feels _incredible_...."

"This would be another one of my many odd talents, love," he said, chuckling.

His fingers trailed down her spine, still casting that spell, and finally she understood why his hunnies bought it -- because the combination of his gentle, kneading and that spell really did feel...well, it felt _extremely_ sexual. Another moan snuck out of her, and she quickly bit her tongue. _Whoops. Gotta distract him or he'll quit. _"Keep this up and I'll hire you as my personal masseuse."

"_Hire_ me?" He bent down to whisper in her ear. "Just for you, sweetheart, I'll do this for _free_."

A knot of desire was slowly building within her at the huskiness of his voice, but she ignored it, instead giving him a wry grin. "Yeah, right. _Nothing_ is ever completely free with you."

Zelos smirked and cocked his head in acknowledgement. "Okay, so you might have a point there. But believe me, babe, I'm getting just as much enjoyment from this as you are."

She was tempted to roll her eyes at that, but the smile was far more powerful. "Yeah, I _bet_ you are. But right now...I really don't care. That just feels..." _don't moan, don't moan, don't moan _"..._oh_, that feels good. Just...keep doing that for awhile, okay?"

He chuckled again, then kissed her cheek. "Of course. Glad I can please you, my lady."

Silence settled upon them then. Sheena wasn't sure how long he kept working his magic on her back, ironing out all the knots and relaxing her beyond anything she'd ever felt before, but eventually everything became a fuzzy blur of pleasure. No wonder his hunnies had bought it and then felt so possessive of him; Zelos really was incredible at this. It was, by far, one of the best things she'd ever felt.

Her mind was drifting, lost in utter bliss, when his warm breath suddenly grazed her ear and he whispered, "Wake up, sweetheart."

...Oh. He'd stopped. Wait, why had he stopped? "'M not asleep...." she mumbled, one eye slowly prying open, only to quickly slide shut again.

"Yeah, _sure_, you're not," he said, resting a hand on her back. "Keep staying 'not asleep' like this much longer and I'll have to carry you back to Meltokio myself. Not that I'd _ever_ complain about that, mind you...."

...What? Back to Meltokio? It couldn't be that late, could it? Or _had _she really fallen asleep? She wasn't sure, although the sky was definitely darker now than she remembered it being earlier. But she really didn't want to get up; after such a stressful day, she _finally_ felt relaxed again. "You're just looking for an excuse to grope the rest of me."

He chuckled. "Guilty as charged." He sat up, rubbing a few light circles on her back. "C'mon, get up. You need to see this."

Ugh, _get up_? How could she when she was so content and..._boneless..._that even _thinking_ was a chore? "Don't wanna."

He sighed showily. "Sheeeennnnnaaaa...don't make me beg. Or threaten to never do this again for fear I'll put my date to sleep again."

...Neither of which was an acceptable option. His begging was downright obnoxious ("_Please? Please, please, please, please, please, please, please_?"), and the thought of him refusing to ever do _this_ for her again reignited murderous thoughts in her mind. "Then tell me what you want me to see."

"Nope!" he replied, way too cheerfully. "Sorry, love, not telling. You have to see this for yourself." Ugh, how could he be so _chipper _while the very thought of moving made her want to beat something up? Oh, right, _he _hadn't had to deal with Minister Giannovio all day. She growled warningly, and he sighed. "Just get up, sweetheart. Please?"

Agh, he wasn't giving up, was he? All right, fine, _she_ gave up. He _had_ asked nicely, after all...and after the beautiful night they'd had, she didn't feel like arguing with him. Besides, she shouldn't be falling asleep so far away from Meltokio anyway. But _man_, that had felt good -- and the best part was knowing Zelos really hadn't tried anything inappropriate with her. He'd meant it about not pressuring her for sex, hadn't he? If he hadn't, this would have been the perfect opportunity for him to try to seduce her, but he hadn't -- and oh, was she grateful for it. If his goal really was to make her feel safe with him, then he'd achieved it.

And because he'd proven he was willing to make sacrifices for her, she would do the same for him now. With a groan, Sheena pushed herself up and rubbed her face blearily, then she sighed and opened her eyes...and gasped. Out over the ocean, the sun was sinking into the water, setting the rippling ocean waves ablaze with a sparkling mixture of orange, pink, and purple that mirrored the sky above, while above that, a full, luminescent moon was slowly rising through the trees, the first of the diamond-like stars poking out amongst the darkening blue sky. It was, without a doubt, themost beautiful sunset she'd ever seen, almost like a fairytale or an incredible watercolor painting.

Any annoyance she still felt at his insistence she get up was now gone, and she looked back at him where he'd retreated to his 'backrest' tree, her face lighting with an awestruck smile and her heart melting. Giving her a soft, knowing, 'I told you so' grin, he patted the ground in front of him, between his legs, indicating she should sit there. Her gut reaction, which still hadn't caught up to this new reality between them, told her no, absolutely not, that sitting there like that would be far too intimate -- but her mind quickly reminded her not only of his earlier promise, but that so far tonight he'd given her no reason to doubt him and every reason to believe he'd behave. He really had earned her trust tonight.

Despite that, she still must have hesitated a little too long for his face fell and he lifted his hands. "Hands to myself. Promise."

Sheena took another deep breath, then she smiled and, opting to leave her robe off a little longer, crawled over to him. Once she was comfortably settled between his outstretched, bent legs, Zelos wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her back against him, keeping his hands in a safe location over her stomach. She relaxed into his cocooning embrace, letting her head fall back into the crook of his neck and covering his arms with her own. Her smile broadened as he pressed a kiss to her cheek that sent pleasurable shivers through her, his lips lingering there and his breath warm against her skin, and she let her head rest lightly against his. She felt so warm, so safe, so _loved_. And this _view_...no wonder he'd moved their picnic site over here if he'd suspected they would get something like _this_ tonight. Idiot or not, the man really did think of everything, didn't he?

"It's beautiful," she said.

Zelos nuzzled his nose against her cheek, his lips grazing her skin and sending incredible fire racing through her. "Would you believe me if I say, in my eyes, it doesn't hold a candle against you?" he whispered in her ear. "Or are you going to argue that point again?"

Warmth flooded her cheeks, and Sheena shifted, careful not to loosen his embrace, so she could see his face...and the softness and sincerity in his eyes took her breath away. To him, she was even more beautiful than this sunset. She was still astounded that someone like him who'd lived around physical beauty his entire life could find anything beautiful in a rough, unsophisticated country girl like her, but he really did mean that. She could see it -- and she was positive it wasn't just wishful thinking.

Tears pricked her eyes, and she smiled shyly and shook her head. Zelos returned her smile and pressed his cheek to her forehead, but she needed more than that. Pulling back just enough that her lips could reach his, she reached up to touch his face, wove her fingers through his silky red hair, and drew his head down to hers so she could kiss him again, slowly and softly...and oh, Jizou, his body pressing so intimately against hers and his fingers trailing up her bare arms to cup her face with such _reverence _filled her with incredible warmth and made her heart swell. When the kiss finally ended, she pulled back and lifted her eyes to his. "I love you, Zelos," she whispered.

His smile softened as his fingers trailed, feather-light, back down to her arms. "I love you too, Sheena."

Her blush deepened as she watched him another moment, but then she leaned forward, resting her forehead briefly against his, and then shifted around to see the gorgeous sunset again, reveling in his arms slipping back around her waist, holding her to him. She couldn't remember ever feeling this _happy_ before -- and she suddenly wanted him to know that. "You know, weird stalker issues aside, I really had a good time tonight."

She felt him smile as her head fell back against his neck again, his grasp on her tightening. "Me, too. I now have _infinitely_ better memories of this place than I did before."

Good. She would hate to be the only one who would always remember this place with such fondness. "I have some really good memories of it now, too," she whispered. These were memories she knew she'd cherish the rest of her life, even if this relationship ended in a fiery, horrible wreck tomorrow. "And...is it just me, or is this whole thing between us feeling more...comfortable...already? You know, not quite as...weird...as it was a few days ago?"

"Nope, not just you; I was thinking that, too," Zelos said. "I don't think I've ever enjoyed a date this much, actually. It was nice to not have a woman constantly pouncing on me, trying to get me out of my clothes. I wasn't expecting this level of comfort to happen this quickly, but _I'm_ certainly not complaining."

"Me, neither." And she already knew she never would.

"Glad we're on the same page with this." He let out a soft laugh. "Y'know, I never thought my Plan B would be better than my Plan A, but I'm pretty sure this was. Maybe it's a good thing the king _did_ delay you tonight."

"Maybe," she acknowledged with a smile. And speaking of the king.... "And while I'm thinking about it...thanks again for putting so many of my concerns to rest about the king and Minister Giannovio."

He rested his head against hers. "You're welcome. I'm just glad I could help. Maybe I can help you out even more tomorrow."

"I hope so." Oh, how she hoped so. "But traveling together again wouldn't be so bad, either."

"No, it wouldn't," he murmured. "We'll just have to see how tomorrow goes and, until then, enjoy the moment. There's no use worrying about something you can't change. Whatever will be, will be."

"Yeah...you're right." She released a soft sigh, snuggling further into his arms, trying to hold onto this beauty forever. 'Forever' might not be possible for them, but maybe they could continue this moment another night. Because like it or not, their relationship had survived one date without falling apart, and that meant a repeat was possible. "We'll have to do this again sometime."

"Definitely," he whispered, giving her another tender squeeze. "I'm looking forward to it already."

She leaned her head against his. "I know some nice spots near Mizuho. The lake would be great for this."

Zelos smiled and pressed another kiss to her cheek. "Sounds perfect. It's a date."

"Yeah, definitely."

Sheena closed her eyes, savoring the moment, as silence finally settled upon them. Part of her felt guilty for setting up another date with him instead of breaking this off like she _should _be doing, but weakness and the part of her that was completely entranced by this beauty wouldn't let her. The future may be an unknown, shrouded in thick, impenetrable fog, but deep down she knew what lay behind those clouds: heartache and a messy breakup. 'They' simply couldn't last. For awhile, maybe, but not permanently. She knew it, and even though Zelos hadn't said as much, she knew he did, too. One day she _would_ become Mizuho's chief, and when that day came, he would have no part in that life. There _was_ no place for him in that future. The lifestyle would never suit him, and Mizuho would never accept him in such an important role, anyway. And the sooner she ended this, before these feelings could grow any stronger than they already had, the easier and less painful it would be for them both.

Right now, though, being held so lovingly, so protectively in his arms, Sheena couldn't even consider that. Her heart had fallen for him, and it refused to let her give this up yet. She'd never felt anything like this before; she'd never believed herself _capable _of feeling anything like this before. She loved it. She loved _him_. How could she walk away from that? She couldn't. He was her first love, something so much more powerful, fulfilling, and real than any crush she'd had before. She _wanted_ to see where this went and continue experiencing this love; she _wanted_ to get to know the realZelos better and getmore opportunities like this to smile and laugh and have fun with him. No, right now, she couldn't walk away from this even if she wanted to -- and she definitely didn't want to.

All she could do, she supposed, was have faith that everything would work itself out eventually. She had to believe fate would end this relationship as it was supposed to, preferably in a way that left them with a strong friendship intact. One day soon, when the newness and excitement wore off, their different, probably incompatible personalities would shine through their efforts to be on their best behavior, and once they started seeing each other as the flawed human beings they were, they'd probably start bickering and fighting again, like they always used to. And when that happened, she would finally have a legitimate reason to break it off with him -- one he would hopefully agree with.

But until that happened, she wanted to enjoy this beautiful, unexpected ride while it lasted. She would let fate do its thing. She would use this experience to learn what real love was. Maybe Zelos would teach her a few other things, too, like how to have fun with life, and maybe she could help him learn some things, too, like that it really was okay for him to be himself with others. The messy breakup awaiting them if fate _didn't _take care of things scared her, but the thought of ending this relationship and, in the process, hurting them both was even worse. She loved him too much to do that to him, especially after everything he'd now done for her. This love was a gift for some as-of-yet unknown reason, she wanted to believe -- Zelos hadn't _meant_ for her to fall for him, after all, and she hadn't _meant_ for him to fall for her, either -- and refusing that gift without seeing its purpose first would be premature and ungrateful to whomever it was who'd given it to them.

Maybe fate was trying to tell them something they couldn't see yet. Maybe something unexpected awaited them behind those clouds; maybe she _wouldn't_ become chief, or maybe one of them would, Heaven forbid, be killed before it could become an issue...anything was possible. And that knowledge, too, that everything could still change, was another reason why she couldn't end this. She would never forgive herself for burning such a beautiful bridge if the future _did_ bring her something different than she expected. The minute her grandfather told her she had to become chief, though...well, then she would know her time was up, and if their relationship hadn't ended by then, she'd have to do it herself. But she would cross that bridge when and if she came to it. Besides, Zelos was smart enough to realize he'd be miserable in Mizuho, so if hewas still willing to give this relationship a shot, shouldn't she do the same?

They were standing at the same crossroads where they'd once stood six years ago, with two directions to choose from. One was the road Zelos had forced them to walk the last time, by ending their relationship before it reached a devastatingly painful conclusion. The other road, the one shrouded in mystery and uncertainty, would most likely lead them to the same heartache of a love cut short, but the journey itself to get there...well, judging from tonight, it might just be worth the risk. Zelos had made this decision for them the last time, one they'd both hated but that had eventually brought them right back to this spot; this time the decision was hers. And now she'd made her choice: she would pursue that unknown but potentially amazing road. It may still prove to be devastatingly painful, but she wasn't going to run away this time. She _wanted _to experience this journey with him, to see where it went and to admire the view along the way. One time letting fear prevent them from walking this road was one time too many.

No, this time she was choosing that other road. It would hurt like hell when it ended, and one day she would probably regret this choice, but right now, Sheena just didn't care. She wanted to see something new this time and enjoy life, and she knew she could do that with Zelos because now that _he_ could finally live _his_ life, he wanted to do the same. She wanted this to last. She wanted to be held in his arms, to sink into his kiss, to touch him and hold him and love him and be touched, held, and loved by him in return. That shrouded, mysterious future was just too far away to worry about yet. Right now, only the present mattered. _Whatever will be, will be._

And with that decided, Sheena sank into his warm, protective embrace, determined to not only enjoy this beautiful moment and make many more memories like these while walking this new road together, but to make sure Zelos enjoyed it just as much as she did for as long as their journey might last.

And that was exactly what she was going to do.

~Fin~


End file.
